


I Want To Be With You Everywhere

by haztobegood



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Elemental Magic, Explicit Sexual Content, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Fairy Harry Styles, Fairy Louis, Harry in Panties, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mentions of Drowning, Minor Injuries, Nobody Dies, References to Addiction, Self-Lubrication, Soul Bond, Wing Kink, but of faery magic not human drugs, everyone is a fairy, with a side of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:07:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21739573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haztobegood/pseuds/haztobegood
Summary: A Seed from the Cherished TreeA Cloud from the Mighty SummitA Flower from the Perpetual VolcanoA Pearl from the Perceptive LakeA Love across the Faery RealmsFae Proposals were a rare and ancient ritual. The presentation of the four Tokens to one’s mate would initiate a lifelong, inter-realm bond between their souls. But the Tokens could only be gathered if the lover could overcome the elements of all four Faery Realm Trials.The Trials were dangerous, deadly even. But for Harry, Louis would risk it all.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 22
Kudos: 116
Collections: 28 Proposals Fic Fest





	1. Earth

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for 28 Proposals Fic Fest. The prompt was "Proposals require a pilgrimage to all five realms, returning from each with gifts that signify the love devotion they have for their desired partner." Check out all the other amazing proposal fics in the [collection](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/28proposals) and don't forget to leave comments and kudos on all the fics!
> 
> Thank you to [kingsofeverything](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FullOnLarrie/pseuds/kingsofeverything) for putting this fest together!
> 
> And thank you to [Nina](https://pattern-pals.tumblr.com/) for the amazing artwork they did for this fic!

_A Seed from the Cherished Tree_

The sun warmed Louis’ wings. He breathed in the rich smell of soil. As he flew over the expansive wheat field, he basked in the energy radiating from the plants below. He reached out a hand and felt the soft tassels of the growing grass tickling his palm. He smiled to himself. The familiar freedom of flying in his home realm after so long overwhelmed him. It had been years since he’d taken the time to fly about the Earth Realm and it was invigorating. 

He stretched his wings wider. The strong air current caught beneath his wings, pulling him higher and increasing his speed. He tucked his wings and swooped through the air. His stomach dropped as he fell toward the ground. At the last second, he spread his wings and gained altitude. Adrenaline surged through him as he soared higher through the bright blue sky. 

The joints felt strong and agile as he flexed his wings. They powered him farther across the open fields. Louis loved his wings. They were the color of new spring grass, a brighter green than most of the dark emeralds and deep olives of the other Earth fairies’ wings. The lobes of the wings were slightly heart shaped, coming to defined points as they extended from his back. The smooth, waxy texture and the glossy shine of Earth wings resembled the leaves of a vine, matching the natural beauty of their Realm of origin. 

They were more solid and sturdy looking than the delicate Air wings, or mercurial Fire wings. And while Earth fairies may have lacked the speed that larger Air and Fire wings provided, his smaller, sturdier Earth wings offered agility and versatility well-suited for flying through tight forests that covered most of the realm. 

The edge of the expansive wheat field approached and faded into a vibrant meadow of wild flowers and prairie grasses. Louis flew face first to smell their enchanting fragrances and felt the soft petals brush his cheeks. He was amazed at how restorative it felt to reconnect with the Earth Realm. He had not realized just how taxing his time in the Metal Realm had been, until he felt the rush of Earth energy filling his stores. 

Fairies were always warned about the dangers of spending too much time in the Metal Realm where humans had unwittingly severed the link to the energies that gave life to the Faery Realms hundreds of centuries before. It was difficult for fairies to live amongst the humans. Besides the lost connection to Faery energy, living in the Metal Realm required living life at a rapid human speed while constantly maintaining a guise to keep his fairy form hidden. 

The guises were essential for living undetected amongst the humans. It was crucial to mask the Fae features that would confuse - or worse - frighten a mere human like wings, pointy ears, and cat-like eyes. But the most important part of the guise was becoming human-sized. Most humans were gullible enough to explain away inhuman features as make up or masks. But it would be much harder to make sense of a tiny pixie-like fairy that was a quarter of their size.

Louis’ trip through the Earth Realm was a much needed break from the taxing regimens of living a human life, even if he was nervous about The Trials. 

The Trials were four tasks devoted to proving True Love before a Fae Proposal could be offered. The Trials were demanding, dangerous, and often deadly. About thirty Fairies had ever attempted The Trials, and only a dozen had succeeded. The widowed fairies that had lost their true love were often pitied by others and the community has always seen the abrupt end to their love stories as a great tragedy.

Because of the huge risks, there had not been an attempt at the Trials in Louis’ lifetime. But he knew the reward of offering a Fae Proposal to Harry would be worth every risk he was taking.

Louis chose the Earth Trial to complete first, as he was most familiar with the Earth Realm and hoped his connection to the Realm would start him off on the right foot. The Earth Trial required collecting one seed from the Cherished Tree. 

The Cherished Tree was at the center of the Earth Realm. This tree was the oldest growing being in the entire Realm. Some origin myths said that all life in Faery sprung from the roots of the Cherished Tree. As such a sacred and revered being, the Tree was not easy to get to. The Tree was protected by many wards and spells and faery magic.

But Louis knew the Earth Realm well. He remembered studying the tree and its history in school, learning about its magnificent energy and the potent magic protecting the tree from harm. He recalled one time as a young boy attempting to see the Cherished Tree for himself. He hadn’t made it past the edge of the village before his mother had caught up to him, cautioned him about the dangers of going to the tree. And he hadn’t tried since. 

But this time was different. Louis was prepared to find the Cherished Tree, collect his first Token, and complete the first Trial. He had spent weeks planning his route, studying maps, and reading accounts from the successful Fae Proposals. Nothing would stop him this time. He would not be deterred by any cautious advice or magical wards. 

Louis knew he was in for a long flight of the Cherished Tree. He had left the village as the sun was peeking over the horizon and made good time to the edge of the village. By midday he had cleared the hilly meadows and open fields. 

The field ended abruptly, giving way for a dense forest of towering trees. At the edge of the forest, Louis lowered to the ground and scoured the area for something to eat. He walked into the forest, giving his wings a chance to rest. He found a patch of wild berry bushes and plum trees growing just a few yards into the forest. He plucked each fruit with deft fingers, careful not to damage the stems or surrounding fruit, and offered his thanks to the bushes and trees before adding the fruit to his bag at his hip. 

When his bag was heavy and full, Louis found a fallen log to sit. He stretched out his wings, warmed by the sunlight filtered through the canopy, and tucked one leg underneath him as he relaxed onto the log. When he was comfortable, he opened his bag and dug into his lunch. The fruit here was always fresher and sweeter than human fruit, especially when picked directly from the source. Juice from the ripe plum dripped down his chin as he savored the fruit. 

Now that he wasn’t flying and didn’t have the rush of the wind filling his ears, Louis noticed all the sounds around him and the life within the forest revealed itself. He listened to the happy chirps of songbirds, the steady tapping of a woodpecker, and the rustling of leaves as a pair of squirrels chased each other. 

When he had eaten his fill, Louis walked until he found a shallow stream running through the forest. He washed himself of the sticky sweet fruit juices. He cupped his cleaned hands, gathering water in his palms to take a drink. The cool, clear water was refreshing. When he’d sated his thirst, he plucked one large maple leaf from a nearby tree to wipe his face and dry his hands. He thanked the tree for the leaf. 

Eager to continue on his Trial, Louis spread his wings, pushed off the ground, and started weaving his way through the forest. The underbrush below grew denser, vines and ferns tangling farther up trunks and narrowing the gaps between trees. Half the sunlight was lost as the canopy thickened as he flew farther into the forest. His eyes adjusted quickly, his thin cat-like pupils widening to accommodate the low light easily and he flew on, weaving through increasingly thick brush and around tree trunks with ease. 

A goldfinch sang as he flew past its nest. The bird took off, flapping their wings and zooming through the forest with practiced ease to catch up with Louis. They flew together, the bird’s vivid yellow wings keeping up with Louis’ green wings beat for beat. The companionship didn’t last long, and the goldfinch lighted on a nearby branch just minutes later. The bird offered one last melodic call as if in a wish of good luck. Louis smiled warmly and waved back to the bird as he flew on. He’d missed the camaraderie with the other creatures in the Earth Realm. Most of the animals he’d encountered in London did not trust humans, or even guised fairies. The pigeons in London were the closest he’d come, but they only wanted humans for the promise of food. 

The forest grew denser still. Larger, older trees created narrow openings between trunks. Louis swerved closer and closer to the towering trunks around him. He pulled his wings in tighter, maneuvering carefully around every obstacle. 

The plant life around him was changing from leafy bushes and flowering vines, to thorny vines and prickly bushes. He slowed to swerve slower around each truck to avoid the protruding thorns. He was cautious of each move, keeping an eye out for any sharp branches or stinging nettles that he needed to avoid. 

A movement beneath him caught his eye. He looked down to see a fuzzy grey squirrel running along, chasing the faint shadow Louis’ figure was casting on the forest floor. In his distraction, Louis swerved too close to a tree. A thorn scraped against his shoulder, tearing through his shirt sleeve. Pain bloomed through his shoulder and his wings faltered. He caught his balance, hovering in order to inspect the injury. It had broken the skin, but not enough to draw blood. the cut was an angry red and stung. 

He let out a relieved breath, it could have been worse. A tear like this was painful. A tear like this on his wing could have been disastrous. Wings were more fragile and a thorn could likely tear a hole. Continuing to fly through the dense foliage was too risky. Louis needed to get past the forest another way. 

He adjusted his altitude to fly above the canopy, higher above the ground than he was used to. His wings were meant for low, agile flight. The heavy, dense waxiness of his wings protested against the thinner air above the trees. It was more tiring than gliding close to the ground among plant roots and leaves surrounding him. He felt barer and more exposed without the surrounding leaves to offer a bit of camouflage. Not that there were many predators or reasons to be concerned about flying in the open, but the instinctual part of his brain knew that it was still a greater risk and his vigilance went up.

Flying like this reminded Louis of when he’d first met Harry. 

Harry had been sat alone on a mossy log at the edge of the playground. Louis remembered the moment well, as it was the first time he had ever seen a fairy from another realm up close. 

Most fairies chose to stay in their home realm. Occasionally adult fairies would travel from realm to realm for business, and the young fairies were rarely exposed to anyone from outside of their village. But Faery society was changing, and the Council had initiated a program the decade before to allow students to live in other realms for one year of schooling. Despite the Council’s efforts to promote the student exchange program, it was still a rarity during Louis’ youth.

The afternoon that they met, Louis had been playing tag with his friends, flying through the dense forest and dodging through the trees near the playground when a sudden flash of light caught his attention. He stopped and turned to the source of the bright light, hovering as his curiosity pulled his attention away from the competitive game of tag. 

Sunlight danced off the glassy scales of wings as it filtered through the leaves of the big willow. Louis watched in awe as the color of the wings shifted as if by magic. From a distance, the sheer wings revealed the surrounding colors, a mosaic of the green willow leaves and yellow wildflowers. But as Louis flew closer, other colors appeared. Blues and purples and pinks, never staying the same color as the light shifted across the iridescent wings. 

When Louis was just a few feet away, he could make out the finer structures of the wings, so different than any Earth fairy wings. The wings were made up of thousands of tiny scales like the butterfly wings Louis had learned about in school. Among the scales, delicate veins shimmered like a gossamer spider web coated in morning dew. Louis wondered with childlike curiosity how such fragile wings would even support Harry to fly around. 

Despite their beauty, the wings were drooped down and were tucked in close to the small frame. The attached shoulders were hunched in and the fairy’s head was lowered. Louis approached this unusual stranger with unassuming naivete. Louis hovered in front of the small fairy, but the boy didn’t look up.

“What color are your wings?” Louis asked.

The boy just shrugged in response. He curled in tighter, pulling his wings flat against himself as if they would melt into his back if he tried hard enough.

“They’re so cool!” Louis continued, rambling off his thoughts as they came. “It’s like they were sorta green back there, but then they turned blue. And now they’re pink! I’ve never seen color changing wings before. Are they mood wings?”

“What’s a mood wing?” The boy lifted his head, tilting to look at Louis for the first time.

“You know, like mood rings. They are all sorts of colors and when you put it on it tells you what you feel. My mom brought some back from the Metal Realm. My sisters all have them, and I have one, too!”

“I don’t have a mood ring.” The boy said, his head falling again.

“That’s okay. Your wings are way cooler than those rings, anyway.”

“Really?” The boy looked up again, doubt on his face.

“Of course. I wouldn’t lie.”

“But the other kids said they were silly-looking.” A tear rolled down his cheek and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. “And I couldn’t fly fast through the forest so they won’t let me play tag.” 

“Well, they’re stupid. I would play tag with you.”

That day after class, Louis took Harry to the open fields away from the village. It took hours of coaxing and talking before Harry perked up enough to fly with Louis watching. When he finally did, Louis watched in awe as Harry flew gracefully, doing high swooping maneuvers and loop-di-loops through the open air. It was so wildly different than quick turns and tight maneuvers that Louis had always done.

After that the two were nearly inseparable. 

During the year of Harry’s exchange, they would sneak out to the fields whenever they could get away. They spent hours practicing each other’s techniques and learning to fly together. When they weren’t flying, they’d lie in the grasses and talk about anything and everything. Louis taught Harry how to adjust his wings for flying around tighter corners and weaving through trees. Harry taught Louis to fly higher and faster and how to soar with his wings outstretched. While they both learned techniques from each other and their flying abilities grew, their friendship became love. 

But the yearlong exchange came to an end and Harry returned to the Air Realm. The following years spent apart living in separate realms were difficult, but they found ways to see each other. They were always sneaking away to see the other. They transported late at night to meet each other in the fields of the Earth Realm or the castle ruins in the Air Realm. 

They spent many years together, splitting the decades between both realms but never settling down permanently. While inter-realm relationships were not uncommon, it was still a challenge to feel connected to a realm that was not their own. 

Eventually they both decided for a greater adventure. They would go to the Metal Realm for a few years. Time passes differently there, humans age much faster and life moves quicker. They moved to London, went to university, and did their best to blend in to the human world. As they were coming to an end of their stay in the Metal Realm, both of them seniors at university and ready to head back to the Faery Realms next spring, Louis was ready for the next step in their relationship. But returning to the Faery Realms posed another set of challenges in their relationship. 

The connection to one’s realm ran deep and the call of home was nearly impossible to ignore. Neither one would ever feel completely at rest in the other’s realm. Unless they were bonded. But the bond was difficult to form. Only a dozen other faery couples had ever succeeded in a true Fae Proposal to initiate the bond. Most fairies found love within their own realm, and for them, the risk of the Trials was worth the reward. But Louis could feel the restlessness in his bones, in his wings. He wanted that connection with Harry. And that is what drove him forward on his first Trial.

He stayed vigilant as he continued on toward the Cherished Tree. The thorny forest stretched on beneath him and he flew over the treetops. The air thinned above the tall trees and Louis began to soar the way he’d learned from Harry. It was tiring to fly in the modified way. The muscles in his wings strained as the sun beat directly onto them. 

What felt like hours later, the far edge of the forest came into view. The change in the terrain gave him a surge of energy. He powered through the last stretch above the thorny forest. When he reached the start of a grassy plain Louis took another break. He lowered to the ground and felt the energy of the surrounding plants welcome him back to the ground. His feet touched the soft grass and he folded his wings flat against his back. Louis turned back to take in the towering forest he had just crossed over. The trees this far into the realm were larger and older than most of the trees in Louis’ village. He found one tree a bit separated from the edge of the forest, with a small boulder under its shade. He took a seat on the boulder, a bit of a reprieve after the hours unprotected from the bright sun. 

He could sense that he was getting nearer to the Cherished Tree and this old, untouched oak towering over him was strong evidence that his senses did not betrayed him. He dug his map from the bag tied to his belt and reviewed his path. It was a crudely hand drawn map of the realm copied from an ancient book he’d found at the Faery library, but so far it had been accurate. 

Louis traced the path he’d marked out and memorized the short lines he’d yet to travel. He should make it to the Tree within an hour and have the remainder of the day to make the return trek to Earth village. That would give Louis just enough time to transport back to the Metal Realm before Harry would suspect a thing. He had a late class tonight, and wouldn’t get home until six. It would be close, but Louis was confident that he could make it back. 

Louis folded the map carefully and tucked it back into his bag and tied the drawstring securely. Then he started off on the last stretch, thankfully able to stay close to the ground. The grass was thick and rich green, like the color of Harry’s guised eyes in the bright morning light when they drank their morning cuppas on the balcony of their small flat. Small white flowers dotted the grass, growing thicker in some areas, like someone had scattered handfuls of their seed across the open field. The terrain grew hilly, Louis’ wings carried him up and down over the contours of the land. 

The hills were dotted with huge trees, another ancient forest emerging along the horizon. The old tall trees grew thicker, and thicker as he approached. These trees were standing sentinels around the Cherished Tree. When he flew over the last hill, the Cherished Tree revealed itself. It was the most magnificent tree standing alone in the middle of a clearing. Louis felt the electric power emanating from the network of roots underneath. The energy called him toward the tree. He lowered to the ground, his bare feet landing on the soft grass. It was euphoric. 

The connection to the Cherished Tree was more potent than when filtered through miles and miles of earth and diffused through the millions of plants before reaching the fairy village. Getting such a large dose of the source energy was overwhelming and incapacitating. It scrambled Louis’ thoughts in the most calming way. It took away stress and fear and worry, refueled his exhausted body, made his thoughts clear, but nonlinear. He remembered that he was happy to have reached the Cherished Tree, but the happiness was amplified so much by the Tree’s power that Louis could not remember why he needed to be at the Tree in the first place. 

He walked slowly to the base of the Tree, reverently taking in its beauty. This close, the Tree was too massive to see at once. The trunk was at least four times as wide as he was tall in his human form. It extended high into the sky and Louis craned his neck back. The willow-like branches surrounded him, extending wide and low. Some branches scraped the ground, the golden leaves brushing the dirt as they swayed gently.

The power was so inviting. He would be content to stay there, not a care in the world, entranced by the sheer beauty before him. The mesmerizing power was the greatest ward for the tree, too much for fairies of other realms to usually get to close, and those that do are usually caught up in the entrapment of the euphoria of the powerful high, enough that they can’t fight off the power long enough to remember that they must return to their lives, or that they even have reason to return to the life they left behind. Many had been lost to the pull of the Tree.

Louis approached, his hand cautiously stretched out to touch the first dangling branch. The beautiful golden lanceolate leaves with smooth edges, the length of his forearm, gilded and nearly glowing under the intense setting sunlight. 

If only Harry could see this, Louis thought. He could not wait to go home to tell him about it. His thoughts of returning to Harry broke through the trance that the Tree’s power had wrapped around his mind and he recalled his need to return. 

He spun around, took in his surroundings with his returned clarity. He shook his head. That could not be right. The sun should not have been setting, but it was. Stripes of vivid pinks and purples mixed with darkening blues over the horizon. The colors reminded Louis of the shifting hues of Harry’s iridescent wings. Louis stared off into the sky, imagining Harry and his wings to ground him to the present. Louis took a few steadying breaths, focusing on the task and remembering that he needed to get back to Harry as soon as possible. 

Louis got back to his Trial. He’d seen drawings and descriptions of the seed-bearing fruits that grew from the Tree, and knew to pick a perfectly ripe fruit. He circled the tree. It was surprisingly tidy beneath the branches, as if forest nymphs maintain the area, ensuring no fallen leaves or fruit are left to rot at the base. 

Louis scanned the underside of the branches for any of the fruit that be ripe and accessible among the twisting branches. Many of the greenish yellow fruits had rotting brown dents or black bruising. It took a lot of searching to find a good fruit, one without dents or discolored bruises mottling the skin. Louis palmed the fruit and squeezed it lightly, testing the ripeness by touch. It gave slightly where he pressed his finger. Satisfied with his selection, he thanked the Cherished Tree for her gift and then removed the fruit from the stem. He twisted the stem carefully, one golden leaf coming off when it released from the branch. 

He thanked the tree once more and backed away, the soft fruit clutched in his hand.  
Now that he had the first Token, Louis needed to get away from the tree. He could feel it beckoning him to stay, and the draw was nearly impossible to resist. But he had to get back to Harry.

He flew away, attempting to escape the intense, nearly painful pull of the Tree. He did not dare stop to put the Token in his bag until he was clear of the most intense area of the power. 

With every thought of leaving, the desire to submit to the wards increased. The power of the Tree tugged at his mind, enticing him to stay. He feared that if he didn’t get away immediately, he may never be able to leave the Cherished Tree. For the first time, Louis was starting to understand why all the literature and myths warned that a Fae proposal would change a fairy more than they would ever anticipate.

He had to get back to Harry.

Thoughts of Harry were the only thing that kept him moving forward until he reached the edge of the thorny forest. He hadn’t dared stop before, the wards still drawing him back to the Tree with every beat of his wings. But he was growing tired and needed a moment to rest.

He rested briefly at the shaded rock, now in complete darkness under a starry sky. It was so much later than he had planned to return, and Harry was sure to be worried. Louis looked down at the fruit clenched in his hand. He was shocked to find that in his effort to escape the wards of the Cherished Tree, he had clenched the fruit in his fist until the skin had bruised and torn. He stared at the fruit in horror, the unblemished skin turned ugly by his own negligence to keep it protected. 

Suddenly the fruit began to change. The bruises spread like watercolor across the fruit, brown and black spots blooming from under the bright flesh. The golden leaf withered, detached from the stem, and drifted to the ground. The skin split and began to peel back revealing a pungent flesh like black tar that dripped onto his palm. Louis wrinkled his nose at the bitterly rancid smell. 

When the remainder of the fruit had rotted away, only a small seed remained. It was hard and wrinkled, like a peach pit, and covered in the thick, putrid tar. 

Louis frowned, upset at the loss of the nearly perfect fruit that he had harvested. This was not something he had anticipated happening. None of the research he’d read had described the fruit rapidly rotting away. Doubt crept into Louis’ mind. Would the bare, fruitless seed be enough for the Proposal? What if he had failed? 

It was still a Token from the Cherished Tree, even if it didn’t look as he had anticipated. Louis would have to take his chances. It was much too late to harvest a fresh, unblemished fruit. And besides, the likelihood of Louis escaping the wards and the power of the Cherished Tree if he were to return were very slim. Even this far from the Tree and distracted by the fruit dilemma, Louis could feel the Tree calling to him. He wouldn’t be so lucky to escape a second time.

Louis turned the tarry seed over in his palm. The black remains of the fruit stained everywhere it touched Louis walked along the edge of the forest until he found a narrow creek winding its way through the thorny forest. The shallow water bubbled over rocks and reflected the bright stars from the night sky. Louis knelt down and rinsed the seed and his hands. He scrubbed the seed to remove the rotten fruit. Slowly, the seed emerged from the muck. With enough effort, his hands and the seed were clean. 

He held the cleaned seed up in the moonlight, gold flecks caught the light. It shimmered as he tilted it back and forth in his hand. The gold flecks stood out against the dark contours of the shell. It was magnificent and fascinating.

The excitement built as he thought about what Harry would think of the Token. Louis was very hopeful that the success of this first Trial would bode well for the remaining three Trials. With one last look at his very first Token, Louis stored the seed in his bag at his waist and tied it securely shut. He was feeling more rested and was ready to finish his long return journey.

Louis took off flying once again, gaining altitude to cruise above the treetops. As he distanced himself from the Tree, Louis’ head started to pound and his vision blurred around the edges. The euphoric energy from the Tree was addictive in itself and the wards around the Tree intended to trap anyone that may share its location and resources. But Louis needed to get back to Harry. He repeated Harry’s name like a mantra, focusing on his love to get him out of the grips of the Cherished Tree’s power. 

Louis may have celebrated the success of his first trial prematurely. He felt caught by an invisible chain tethering him to the distant roots of the Cherished Tree. Each beat of his wings tightened the tension on the invisible chain and made it difficult to continue forward. His eyes burned with the strain from trying to focus. His head felt like it was being crushed in a vise. The withdrawal of power and the effects of the wards were wreaking havoc on his mind and body. But he was determined to get back to Harry. Louis fought against the pull of the Tree and focused on returning to Harry to overcome the pain that was building in his mind.

He had to get back to Harry.

Louis arrived at the edge of the Earth village without remembering much of the flight. His head hurt, he couldn’t see straight, and he could hardly remain upright. He wouldn’t be able to make it to the village center to the Transport point by himself. 

Louis would have to ask Zayn for help. Zayn was one of Louis’ oldest friends and lived on the outskirts of the Earth village. He was also the only fairy Louis had confided in when he’d decided to do the Trials. Louis lowered to the ground, tucked his sore wings against his back and staggered down the road. He followed the familiar path to Zayn’s grotto. 

Louis dragged himself up the path and knocked on the door. Louis leaned against the doorframe and waited. There were no lights on and no movement inside. He knocked again, louder. Finally, the door opened. Zayn gasped when he took in Louis’ exhausted appearance. Zayn pulled him in for a hug and Louis nearly collapsed into his arms.

Over a cup of tea, Louis described his Trial and his success. But he did not mention how it had been harder than he expected, that he almost hadn’t come back at all. 

Louis showed Zayn the Token. He withdrew the seed from his bag and set it on the table. Zayn picked the Token up and examined it curiously. 

“That’s extraordinary.” Zayn said. He set the seed back on the table. 

“I wonder if the rest of the Tokens will be this beautiful?” Louis said. 

The voiced thought sat heavy between them. There had always been tension surrounding the Trials whenever Louis discussed them with Zayn. The reminder that this Token was only the first of four brought all of their previous disagreements back to the surface. He knew all of Zayn’s talking points by heart. The Trials were too dangerous. The Proposal wasn’t necessary to love Harry. If he was going to do the Trials, Harry deserved to know that Louis was risking his life. Louis waited in silence for the lecture that was sure to come. 

But instead of the usual lecture, Zayn surprised him. He said “Well, if I can’t talk you out of this crazy Proposal, I might as well give you something that can help you out. Let me grab it.”

Zayn got up and walked down the hall. he returned moments later with a small wooden box.

Zayn was a skilled craftsman in the Earth realm, able to craft nearly anything from natural materials. Zayn had made the box for Louis to store the Tokens in. “I enchanted it to protect the Fae objects while in the Metal Realm.” He handed it to Louis. “And most importantly, warded it so that it could be hidden in plain sight. Harry won’t think to open the box or question its presence in your house.”

The box was made of beautiful polished walnut wood. The lid was ornately carved with their initials and a delicate floral design. Inside, the box was lined with a deep emerald green velvet to carefully cushion the precious contents. Louis placed his Token in the box and slowly lowered the lid. He secured the lid with a small gold clasp.

“It’s beautiful Zayn. Thank you.” Louis said. A yawn escaped, reminding Louis of how exhausted he was, and how late it had gotten.

“I need to head back. Can you help me to the transport spot?”

“You should just stay the night. You look too tired for a transport.”

“No, no. Harry must be so worried. It’s three hours past the time I planned on returning. I need to go back tonight.” 

Zayn just shook his head and sighed. Louis could be the stubbornest of them all when he had his mind set. That is how he’d gotten into the mess of Trials in the first place. But even if Zayn didn’t fully understand why Louis insisted on risking his life in the Trials, he would try to be supportive of his friend. So, he helped him fly to the center of their village and gave him a tight hug before Louis transported back to the Metal Realm. 

The transport tugged at Louis’ being uncomfortably as he was pulled across the realms.

It highlighted all the sore muscles from his journey and increased the intensity of his headache. Bright spots of color flashed behind his eyes and his ears rang uncomfortably. And then the uncomfortable sensations faded away and he landed in the living room of his flat. His flat was dark and quiet and the wall clock showed that it was already past nine o’clock at night. 

As he reoriented himself, Louis noticed a nagging desire to return to the Earth realm lingering at the edges of his mind. He’d never felt this any of the other times he’d visited home during his five years living in the metal Realm. A part of Louis worried that he may never truly be free of the desire to return to the Tree now that he has experienced the euphoria of its power. However, Louis brushed the fear to the back of his mind. He blamed the weird lingering feeling on the extreme tiredness amplifying the strain of transporting. He hoped a good night’s sleep would reset his mind so he would be able to put the thoughts of the Cherished Tree behind him.

A flickering blue light was visible from beneath the closed bedroom door. Harry was in bed already. Louis quietly opened and closed the apartment door and laid his keys in the dish, pretending that he’d come from outside, and not from a different realm. He felt bad for the deception, but knew it was necessary to keep Harry from worrying. 

He took off his bag and hid it inside his wooden box. He tucked that box into the back corner of the hall closet, behind a bunch of winter coats. Hidden in plain sight. He shut the closet door silently. 

Louis went into the bedroom and found Harry sat up against the headboard, some show on Netflix playing on the laptop. Harry clicked the pause button and glanced up at Louis. 

“I didn’t know you’d be out late tonight?” 

“sorry, must’ve lost track of time.” Louis shrugged. 

“Studying?” Harry questioned. 

“Yeah. Big test coming up next week.” Louis stripped his clothes and headed for the en suite for a shower. 

“You didn’t text.” Harry said flatly, almost disappointed. Louis sees his eyebrows furrow, the crease between them highlighted in the light from the laptop screen.

“My phone died.” Phones didn’t work outside of the Metal Realm, so it might as well have been out of battery. Louis added another half lie to what was sure to be a mountain of deceit before the Proposal. He tried his best to wash the guilt down the drain with too-hot water before crawling in between the sheets and drifting to sleep.


	2. Metal

_A Wedding Band from a Human Jeweler_

Louis walked slowly to the tube station. He was bone tired from yesterday’s adventure through the Earth Realm. He had woken up with sore muscles, a dull ache in his skull, and still hadn’t quite shaken off the nagging pull of the Cherished Tree. And he underestimated just how taxing the additional strain of transporting would be. Louis had never transported to and from the Earth Realm in the same day before. He usually visited the Earth Realm during the Metal Realm holiday breaks at his university and would stay for multiple days before making the return transport. He needed to be careful to not fatigue himself too much before transporting back.

Louis caught a glimpse of his human guise in a storefront window as he walked down the street. He startled by his reflection. Despite the fairy magic, he looks exhausted. His shoulders slumped from the lack of sleep. His eyes sat above deep purple marks and looked devoid of energy. His hair was shiny, oil building up from anxiously running his hands through the strands. 

He passed more windows on his walk, all of the colorful displays designed to draw people’s eyes. But he avoided looking, afraid to meet his own eye in the window.

When he turned the corner, he looked up and was faced, not with his reflection, but instead he saw the display behind. Of course, Tiffany & Co. window display would have the perfect lighting to draw the viewer into their advertisement without a harsh glare of the outside world.

The artistic design and saturated colors of the display caught his attention. He stepped closer to the window to take in the details. Stained glass butterflies in all shades of blue and green framed the window, arranged in flight around the right and top of the display. The branches of miniature trees were budding with tiny turquoise leaves and a field of vibrant, multicolored flowers. The entire display reflected the sunshine and lightness of summertime. 

Amongst the colorful, synthetic wildflowers there were a dozen wedding bands, paired up into neat groups of two.

A dainty silver women’s band paired with a matching wider men’s band. Two simple gold bands. Two rings with matching modern T logos on the bands. A set of rose gold bands. A diamond encrusted men’s band next to a huge diamond mounted on a thin silver band. And there on the left, were two matching men’s bands platinum with classic milgrain around the edges of one. Louis do a double take. The subtle acknowledgement of same sex marriage, the possibility of two men exchanging rings, was unexpected.

Seeing the two bands paired up brought Louis back to a month ago, when the idea for the Fae Proposal first came to him. 

It had been a lazy Sunday afternoon like any other. Harry and Louis were curled up on their couch, their legs tangled together under a blanket. 

“Wouldn’t it be fun to plan a human wedding?” Harry asked, as he picked at the chipping turquoise polish on his nails.

“Huh?” Louis looked up from his laptop where he was typing up an essay that was due Monday morning. Harry had already finished all of his assignments and was binging a marathon of Four Weddings. He had been watching brides judge each other’s big day for a chance to win a honeymoon for hours. 

“I think it would be fun. The cake and the venue and the decorations. It seems really special.” Harry said.

“Seems like a lot of stress,” Louis commented inattentively, more focused on his essay than Harry’s comments about the show. 

“Yeah, it’s just like throwing a giant party to celebrate your love.” Harry sighed wistfully. 

“Wait, you’ve really thought about this?” Louis stopped working and turned on the couch to face Harry. Harry was blushing and he purposefully stared at the Preparation H ad is playing on the telly instead of meeting Louis’ eye. Louis waited patiently for him to answer. 

“All these women just look so happy and the ceremonies are so beautiful.” Harry said quietly. 

They stayed cuddled on the couch for hours, discussing ceremonies, receptions, and honeymoons. They made vague plans to have a wedding before returning to the Faery Realms next autumn. 

It was not until after they’ve crawled into bed that night, Louis spooned against Harry’s back, that Louis recalled the other important human wedding tradition. The proposal. 

“Hey, Hazza,” Louis whispered. When Harry hummed in response, Louis asked, “If we are really doing this wedding thing, what if I proposed to you? Like a real proposal.”

“Like you get down on one knee, have a ring, the whole works? Yeah, that would be nice.” 

“No, I meant like a Fae Proposal.”

“Oh,” Harry turned in his arms to face him. Louis couldn’t make out what emotions were on his face in the darkness of their bedroom. “But there hasn’t been one in our lifetime. Isn’t it dangerous?”

Louis shrugged. As a child, he had heard all of the fantastic tales of successful Fae Proposals, and the Trials featured strongly in many of his sisters’ romance books. But Louis also remembered the two widowed fairies in the Earth Realm, living alone for centuries after their mates failed at the four Trials. Everyone would show kindness toward them, and how the hush whispers of pity would come once the widows left the room. Their lamentable fates were used as cautionary tales to deter others from attempting the Trials. 

Despite the danger of the Trials and the warnings he’d heard all his life, there was more to the Fae Proposal. It was the ultimate display of one’s love for their mate, greater than the most frivolous human weddings. Unlike a human wedding where a ceremony would legally bind two people, the Fae Proposal was an ancient ritual, a magical ceremony where the presentation of the four Tokens to one’s mate would initiate a lifelong, inter-realm bond between their souls. Without a bond like that, Harry would always desire the open meadows and high altitudes of the Air Realm while Louis would always crave the connection with the forests and the plants in the Earth Realm.

Over the next few days, Louis started brainstorming a perfect human proposal for Harry. But with all the thoughts of ceremonies and traditions, Louis couldn’t shake off the idea of a true Fae Proposal. He contemplated the pros and cons and debated how Harry would react to him attempting the dangerous Trials. The Fae Proposal would bond them across realms, whereas a human proposal and marriage wouldn’t exist outside of the Metal Realm. 

The idea stewed in the back of Louis’ mind for weeks, until one day when he was putting away clean laundry in their bedroom. Tucked into Harry’s sock drawer, he found a small book about Fae Bonds and Proposals. Clearly their talk of proposals had sparked an interest in Harry as well. 

Louis spent the rest of the afternoon reading through Harry’s book. The magical bond and the ability to live freely anywhere in the Realms was tempting enough, but there was more. Every chapter of the small book revealed new and exciting information about the bond that formed. There was so much that Louis had never known, but everything he learned intrigued him further. By the time he closed the back cover and tucked the book back into its hiding spot, Louis had decided. He was going to Propose to Harry.

Over two months had passed since Louis started planning for the Trials. In that time, he’d researched every aspect of the Proposal and studied all of the historical counts he could find. He’d ordered supplies for his journey and plotted his routes on hand drawn maps. The only thing he hadn’t done was tell Harry. 

Louis did not want Harry to worry about him while he was completing the Trials. Despite the statistics, Louis had faith that he could be one of the successful ones. The one fact that stood out most in his research was that True Love was the key to completing the Trials. Louis believed their love was True and would carry him through. And besides, the added element of surprise would make proposing to Harry even better.

Standing in front of the jewelry store’s summery display, Louis decided to include an unofficial fifth Token to the Proposal. A token to represent the years spent living human lives in the Metal Realm.

It wasn’t until Louis was hiding the ring boxes in his magical wooden box that the nervous excitement finally overcame him. His hands shook as he opened the clasp. He had bought rings! He was going to propose to Harry! They were going to have a wedding! As silly as some human rituals were, Harry was right. There was something special about their wedding traditions. Louis carefully set the ring boxes in beside the golden seed. With one last look at his growing collection, Louis hid the box and shut the closet door.


	3. Air

_A Cloud from the Mighty Summit_

Louis dug through the closet and pulled out the box. He surreptitiously checked over his shoulder one last time to ensure he was alone, despite knowing Harry’s schedule by heart. He had left for class twenty minutes ago and would not return until later that night. But, it was still best to check. He’d hate for Harry to find out about the trials because of carelessness. Satisfied that the flat was indeed empty, Louis withdrew the two small Tiffany blue rings boxes and peaked inside each one. He admired the rings and reminded himself that this was real. He was actually planning a proposal for Harry. The first one was for himself, a simple platinum band with a brushed satin finish. The second box held a similar brushed platinum band, this one embellished with milgrain around the edge. Inside each band “Always You” was engraved in a tiny script. They were a perfect complimentary pair. 

Louis tucked the two ring boxes back into the wooden box and then picked up the seed. Under the light from the bare bulb hung above the closet shelf, the seed sparkled. The flecks of gold embedded in the black shell danced in the light as Louis moved it around in his palm. He was amazed at the size of the seed. The seed was about the size of a golf ball. With the seed in his palm, he could feel remnants of the powerful forces of the Cherished Tree. 

He set the seed back into the velvet lined box and pulled out his bag. He hid the box back in the closet, then tied the bag around his waist. He was ready for the second trial. He gathered the map and notes for the trial, another hand drawn scribble of directions, loose suggestions, and ancient riddles that he’d pieced together during his month of research. He hoped it would be enough guidance to get him to the second Token, a cloud from the Mighty Summit. 

Louis folded the notes along the already worn creases and tucked them into his bag and pulled the drawstrings tight. Ready to go, Louis took a few breaths to center himself and then he transported.

His body being pulled through the dimensions, molecules shifting through space. The magic wrapped around him as he thought of his destination. He pictured old castle ruins, tall silver grasses, cool gentle breezes. With a week to recharge since his last transport, Louis had no problems. He landed on his feet in the middle of the village at the transport location. 

The Air Realm was a mountainous location, not good for one scared of heights. The village was carved out of white chalky cliffs that hung over a deep sea. Peregrine falcons circle around the cliff, protecting the Air fairies from predators. 

It was still early in the Air Realm. The sun had not yet touching the cliff sides and most homes were still dark. He didn’t dare get caught in the Air Realm, as the gossip was sure to reach Harry’s mother, Anne, and would ruin his secret. Louis took off, flying up the cliffside. 

The meadow at the top of the village was only accessible by flight. The meadow is an expanse of tall swaying prairie grasses. The four winds turn the meadow into a mercurial sea of swaying silver grass blades. Occasionally, a strong gust of wind would lift thousands of fluffy seeds from the tassels at the tops of the grasses. The wispy seeds would float around as if it was snowing. Throughout the meadow, a multitude of rare butterflies and colorful pyramidal orchids added bursts of color. The meadow stretched on at an incline, and at the horizon, the tops of snowcapped mountains could be seen poking through the thick clouds. 

Louis was always amazed at how vastly different the Air Realm was. The cool grey and silvery tones of the landscape were stark in comparison to the vibrant green and brown hues of the Earth Realm forests. Louis flew low to the grass, already feeling the effects of the altitude. It was as if his body was instantly heavier and stiffer. His wings would tire quickly, working harder to give him loft in the lighter, thinner air. 

Louis could see the familiar castle ruins growing larger as he flew near. The ruins were Harry’s favorite escape when he was young, and the ruins quickly became their place when they wanted to be alone in the Air Realm. The stone foundation of the ancient castle was slowly being swallowed by the elements around it. Moss carpeted some of the exposed stones and vines crawled up the expansive north wall, the only wall left standing through the centuries. One of the grand archways had finally succumbed to the elements, collapsed into a heap of rubble since Louis and Harry had last been to the castle. 

Thankfully, the one feature Louis had hoped to find remained standing tall like a sentinel. A single persimmon tree stood strong, right where Louis remembered it. The trunk was rooted between the crack of two stones. The branches hung heavy with large persimmons in every stage of ripeness, ready to be harvested. 

One of the first-hand accounts of a successful Proposal Louis had studied had suggested eating the orange fruit to ward off altitude sickness if one was not from the Air Realm. Louis thanked the tree for its fruit, grabbed three ripe orange fruits and tucked them into his bag. He grabbed a fourth and flew to the highest point of the ruin to eat it. He sat with his legs dangled over the edge of the dark grey stone and surveyed the land before him. The mountain he was headed for loomed dauntingly tall, its width taking up most of the horizon, wisps of thin white clouds stretched across its middle and its summit hidden behind a curtain of fluffy white clouds. Louis took note, the clouds would give him perspective on his progress up the mountain.

Louis didn’t spend long contemplating his journey. He ate the fruit and then set off again. As he left the castle, it occurred to Louis that this was the furthest he has ever travelled into the Air Realm, and the first time he had ever done so without Harry flying alongside him. He felt a bit lonely and a bit like he was trespassing in Harry’s territory. He shook off the feeling and carried on, focusing on the Trial.

An hour later, he reached the base of the Mighty Summit. He found the trailhead easily, marked by a red flag staked in the ground. Flying up a mountain was easier than hiking, but it was still dangerous and time consuming. Louis had learned from his research that the trails were ancient routes, from the time before fairies could transport. Louis set to it, keeping close to the surface and following the trail marked out below him by cairns.

Louis watched in awe as the side of the mountain slowly twisted and shifted. A deafening noise of grinding rocks echoed around him as yet another seismic shift changed the direction of the trail. 

It reminded Louis of the staircases in the Harry Potter series that he’d binged with Harry their first winter in London, when they’d spent an entire weekend wrapped in blankets and binged all the movies. The precariously stacked cairns were moved around by ancient magic as the trails changed course. They shifted around and restacked dutifully to maintain the marked trail with unfailing accuracy. 

It was a challenge for Louis to spot the changing cairns stacked along his route. Earth fairies eyes were meant for tracking in lower light, in forests and dense vegetation, and did not possess the range needed to fly high overhead. Air fairies had the advantage of hawk-like precision and long range vision that would help narrow in on the small trail markers with ease.

Louis finally caught on after a while, able to spot the unusual shadows extending from the stacks of stones that would guide him up the easiest path to the summit.

Once he knew how to search for the cairns, the flight up the mountain went by quickly. Louis soon reached the first bank of clouds, the dampness of the first wisps chilled his exposed skin. The clouds became denser as he flew. He lost sight of the trail below, but knew that clouds meant he was near the summit, it was only up from here. 

Louis hovered, taking in the unique experience of flying through clouds. He scooped some of the white vapor with his cupped palms. It was cooler and wetter than he expected. The heavy vapor spilled over his hands and a pool of water formed in his palm as the cloud condensed. He contemplated briefly gathering some of these clouds and calling it a day, but as soon as the thought entered his mind he brushed it away. He knew that these clouds were not from the summit. These low clouds swirling only half way up the mountain were not the Token he needed for the Proposal. 

Louis tipped his hand, the remains of the cloud spilled out of the palm. He dried his hand on his pants and then continued on through the densest area of clouds. Water droplets had coated his wings as he’d slowly flapped them to hover for the short break that he’d taken. The water droplets beaded on the waxy surface and slid off as he moved his wings faster. As he moved into the densest portion of clouds, the weight of the condensing water collecting on his wings was weighing him down. The added weight combined with the poor visibility slowed his flight considerably. At points the clouds were so thick that he couldn’t see more than a foot ahead. Louis kept one hand outstretched to trace against the rough surface of the rock in front of him. 

Luckily, the clouds thinned quickly and Louis broke through the surface of the fog. He blinked at the bright light of the unfiltered sun. Louis shook the water from his wings the best he could while still in flight and they dried quickly with the warmth of the sun. 

He continued on after the clouds, but nausea swelled in Louis’ stomach. He decided it was time for a break. He lowered onto a level outcropping, looking forward to resting his wings and eating another persimmon to stave off the queasy feeling.

Louis landed softly on the rocky outcropping. As soon as both feet touched the rock, it shuddered beneath him and gave way, sliding and grinding down the mountain. Louis screamed and his wings flapped frantically, catching himself with just enough lift to keep him above the danger. He hovered in place, hand over his mouth as he watched the rocky ledge free fall. Down, down, down. The dislodged chunk of mountain tumbled down the mountain, taking other smaller rocks with it. It fell until it passed into the bank of clouds and Louis couldn’t see or hear its descent any longer. 

The shock from his close call did not wear off quickly. Panting breaths and racing heartbeat increased his nausea and ill feeling from the altitude sickness that was taking hold of Louis’ body. He started to feel faint and looked around for a more stable outcropping that he could use. He found another, and apprehensively stepped down on the ledge, first a toe, then a leg, then the other, until his whole weight was supported. Thankfully, it held his weight firmly. Louis heaved a cautious breath of relief at feeling the illusion of solid ground once again. The close call had been enough to shake Louis and he feared the danger would only increase as he reached the peak. 

He kept his eyes lowered to the rocks below his feet, not daring to look out at the open sky or worse, out to the clouds far below. He ate his fruit quickly. The relief from the persimmon was instant. The nausea subsided and a burst of flighty energy from the sugars coursed through his veins. Once Louis felt renewed, he wasted no time taking off from the narrow ledge. He was thankful for wings that he could trust, unlike the rocky ledge that nearly took him out. 

The bit of fruit was exactly what he needed for the last stretch of ascent. Just a few more meters. He flew into one last bank of clouds, this time thicker. They instantly enveloped him in the damp white world. He flew on carefully, hand outstretched to guide him up the side of the mountain. Finally, the clouds parted around him, revealing the summit in unobstructed glory.

Louis surged forward, flying up to the very top of the Mighty Summit. He landed on the highest point. the whole width of the mountain stretched out below him. Louis excitedly pumped his arm in the air and shouted out, his elation echoing into the open air. 

When the first burst of excitement calmed, Louis returned to the task at hand, collecting the second Token. He stretched out his arm and touch the clouds at the summit. He grasped a handful of the cloud and was surprised to feel that it was drier and lighter than the clouds lower down the mountain. It was almost cottony, yet insubstantial and weightless. The handful of cloud flowed like smoke through his fingers. It was disappearing quickly, wisps of cloud evaporating into nothingness. 

Louis grabbed a larger handful and rushed to stuff the swirling vapors into his bag. Before he could secure the bag shut, the gas had escaped, spreading into the air around him. 

No, that can’t be right! Louis tried again. The handful of cloud disappeared again. Louis was dumbfounded, he’d made it all the way to the summit, but he couldn’t find a way to capture the cloud, to keep it for Harry.

Louis’ shoulders sagged. He plopped onto the hard rocky ground, sitting cross-legged as he racked his brain. He needed something, anything, that would clue him in to what he had done wrong. He ate another persimmon and pulled out his notes, scouring for any detail that had slipped through the cracks, but there was none. Nothing to warn him that the cloud would be fickle, nothing that said it would be impossible to simply take a piece of the cloud. He was at a loss. Louis tried once more and watched the handful of cloud seep through the seams of his bag once more. He realized his defeat, and headed back down the mountain. 

The pub was nearly empty when Louis exhaustedly wandered in. There was a bartender wiping down the bar top and two men nursing nearly empty pints in a booth. He could feel the stares of the men judging his green Earth wings where they were tucked tightly against his back. Louis took the barstool farthest from the door, hoping not to be bothered. He’d made it down the mountain in decent time and with little incident, and he didn’t need any incidents now. He should be headed back to the Metal Realm soon, but he wanted a chance to wallow in his misery a bit longer. The failure was hitting Louis hard. 

The whole flight down the mountain, Louis debated. Should he give up while he’s ahead, or is it worth one more try? He’d been so sure of himself, but he now realized just how risky the Proposal and the Trials would be. He tried to be thankful, the Trial could have ended much worse, he could have died, hell he almost did die because of that loose rock. But it was still uncomfortable to admit defeat. 

Louis still hadn’t figured out what to do about the Trial by the time he’d reached the village. So, when he’d see the pub across the street from the transport spot, having a pint seemed like a good option.

“What can I get ’cha?” Louis looked up as the bartender spoke. She was an old Air fairy, with wrinkled skin and clouded eyes. She wore a simple grey tunic and had her silver hair tied in a long plait over her shoulder. Her delicate wings were nearly invisible in the dim light of the pub. She looked impatient when Louis didn’t immediately respond.

“Just a pint. Whatever’s on tap.” Louis added after she began impatiently tapping her long manicured nails against the polished bar top. 

“Alright.” She returned with his drink, setting it in front of him without any further conversation. She didn’t come back until he was nearly done with his drink. 

“You go up the mountain?” she asked.

“Huh?” Louis was confused, not sure how this random bartender could possibly have known what he had been up to. But then again, he wasn’t from the realm and he probably looked like he’d gone up the mountain. He sure felt the journey in his tight muscles and wind burnt skin. 

“Did you go up the mountain?” She repeated. 

Louis merely nodded in response, unsure of how much information he should give. The last thing Louis wanted was for rumors to spread through the Air Realm that he had attempted the Trail. 

“You did not succeed?” She asked, her tone revealing her sympathy. 

“Not this time.” Louis mumbled to his nearly empty glass.

“You look like a bright young man. And if you have enough gusto to attempt the Trials, you should be able to figure out how to capture a cloud. You just have to keep it close to your heart.” With that cryptic piece of advice, she turned away, ready to take orders from a small group that had just come in. 

Louis was unsure of what to make of the encounter, and even more unsure of the cryptic advice she’d given. So, he downed the last dregs of his drink, left some coins on the bar top, and slipped out the front door. It was time to head back to the Metal Realm. 

He was still a bit defeated and even more tired after his transport. He transported right out front of their flat, in a back stairwell where he prayed nobody would be. he got lucky and the stairwell was empty when he appeared.

He climbed the stairs weakly, feeling the fatigue in all of his muscles. He tried to put on a facade as he unlocked the door, but Harry noticed instantly. 

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, getting off the couch to meet Louis with a warm hug.

“Just a long day.” Louis said, face pressed against Harry’s shoulder as he leaned into the embrace. 

Harry pulled him toward the couch, where he questioned Louis about his day and how tired he looked. Louis brushed it off as just more stress about his schoolwork. The lies were enough to appease Harry’s concern for the night.

Louis spent the next two days wallowing around their flat as he racked his brain for the Trial. He needed to find anything that might work to capture the cloud in his heart. 

On the third morning Louis laid in bed watching as Harry was getting ready. Louis was nearly at his wit’s end, ready to go back and ask the bartender to explain what she had said. He was idly planning when he could get back to the Air Realm without Harry noticing as Harry went about his normal routine. He got out of the shower, dried off, and got dressed. Then he opened his jewelry box to put on his rings. Thoughts of the jewelry box brought back a distant memory, and Louis grasped for the memory like he grasped at the impossible cloud. He struggled to fit the pieces of the memory together. He sensed their importance. He knew there was something: a clue, a message, the answer. 

Finally, he fit it all together, remembering back to their first fight after arriving in the Metal Realm.

Moving to the Metal Realm had been stressful. It was the first time either of them had been away from the Faery Realms, away from the magic energies that tied the Realms together, away from their friends and family. It was a huge change for both Louis and Harry. Homesickness and discomfort intensified all their worst emotions, until it all boiled into a fight. 

Louis couldn't even remember what it was about, but he had stormed off in the heat of the argument to prevent himself from saying something he might regret. He slammed the bedroom door. In a burst of rage, Louis swiped his arm across the top of the dresser, knocking some picture frames, trinkets, a coin tray, and a keepsake box onto the floor.

The mess of belongings carelessly strewn across the room was like a bucket of cold water dumped over Louis’ rage. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself before he began to pick up all of the belongings. 

The picture frames and trinkets were mostly unharmed, protected by the carpeted floor. The coins scattered across the floor were returned to the dish. The keepsake box lid had fallen open and Harry’s jewelry, including an old heart shaped locket antique that he’d brought over from the Faery Realm, was returned to the box. 

The locket! Louis remembered how meaningful that locket was to Harry, and it would keep the clouds at his heart like the Air fairy had said. He must enchant the locket to hold a bit of cloud.

With his problem hopefully solved, Louis itched to repeat the Trial. He waited impatiently for the familiar sounds of Harry leaving the apartment. A zipper closing his bag, the jingle of his keys, the slam of the door. 

Louis sprang out of bed, quickly searching for the locket in the box. He found it without trouble and gripped the golden necklace in his hand. He closed the lid, just as Harry came into the room. Louis hadn’t heard him come back in, or his light footsteps down the hall. 

Louis held his hand stiffly at his side, not wanting to bring attention to the gold chain dangling between his fingers. 

“You’re back?” Louis asked.

Harry glanced at him, his brow furrowed in confusion. He probably was, as Louis usually wouldn’t have gotten out of bed for another thirty minutes. 

“Yeah. Left my phone.” Harry grabbed the phone off the bedside table. He waved it before pocketing it. “What are you doing up already?”

“Oh, um. I had to wee.” 

Harry didn’t look convinced, but he shook his head subtly. “I’m headed out. See you tonight.” Harry kissed him softly before heading out of the apartment again. 

Louis exhaled the breath he’d unknowingly been holding. He had gotten away with taking the locket. Barely. The little white lies and diversions were piling up around Louis and the guilt clouded in.

He waited until he heard the lock turn. With Harry out of the flat, he sat on the bed and laid the locket out before him. As Louis summoned the power to begin the enchantment, he felt his magic misfiring. It was like a glitch, a short in the circuit. His left wing popped through the guise. His right ear grew pointy. It was painful, being stuck between Fairy and Human forms. He must be more tired than he thought. 

Louis dropped the guise completely. His body shifted into his fairy size, shrinking down as his wings spread out behind him. He tried again to summon enough power for the enchantment, but still no luck. 

His powers were so weak this far from his realm. He needed to return to Earth Realm and recharge. Louis focused all his power to bring back his full human guise. 

It was three days before Louis could get back to the Earth Realm without Harry questioning his trip. Louis grew antsy as he counted down the hours. He felt guilty as the lies started to pile up. He made excuses to visit Zayn and brushed off his unfinished schoolwork. And Harry’s genuine concern about his strange behavior only added to his anxiety. 

Louis transported to Zayn’s early the next morning. The transport went fine, but he stumbled a bit on the landing. He caught his balance against a bench and sat down to collect himself for a minute before he’d head off in the direction of Zayn’s grotto. All the transports within such a close timeframe were beginning to take a toll on Louis. Fairies were always warned of the side effects of too many transports: dizziness, fever, fatigue, getting stuff mid-transport. This was the first time Louis had felt one of the negative effects himself. 

Once he felt reoriented and the dizziness subsided, Louis flew down the familiar route to Zayn’s. Zayn had offered his home for the weekend, giving Louis a place to lay low and remain unseen within the Earth Realm. The day in the realm recharged Louis and by the second evening, he felt strong enough to enchant the locket. 

Louis waited until Zayn had gone to bed. He’d pretended to settle in for the night, tucking into his temporary bed on the couch until Zayn has turned out the lights. When Louis was sure Zayn would not come out of his bedroom, Louis sat up cross legged on the couch, blankets pooling in his lap. He pulled his bag out from under the pillow he’d hidden it under. He drew out the locket, the small golden heart dangling from its delicate gold chain. He laid it across the blanket on his lap, and focused his magic, gathering its strength so he could begin the enchantment. 

The Fae magic buzzed under his skin, electric and sharp. The current spread through him and he began to utter the enchantment that he had chosen. It was an enchantment meant to lock powerful emotion into keepsakes, and he hoped that his adaptation of the ancient magic would be sufficient to hold the Token. The energy flowed from him into the locket, causing it to glow a faint red aura. After a minute, the aura faded away, locking the enchantment into the locket. 

Louis gathered up the locket and returned it to his bag, hiding it under his pillow for safe keeping. With the successful enchantment completed, Louis laid back down on the couch, hoping to catch many hours of restless sleep to prepare him for his return to the Mighty Summit.

His second trip up the mountain was much easier this time. He was recharged and well-rested. He knew all the tricks to find the way up, how to watch for the elongated shadows of the cairns and listen to the grinding shifting mountain side below. 

He made it to the top of the Mighty Summit in half the time, and he didn’t stop to celebrate just yet. His heart beat rapidly and his hands shook as he pulled the locket from his bag. There was still a chance that the locket would not protect the cloud and that he would have to return Token-less a second time. Louis pushed away the negative thoughts of failure and focused on capturing a bit of the cloud.

Louis pressed the latch to open the locket. The mechanism stuck a bit at first and he cursed his own foolishness for not testing the locket beforehand. But he tried again with a bit more force and finally the locket clicked open. The hinges resisted after so long in the same position, but he was able to gently pry it open. 

Louis was surprised to find a carefully cut image of young harry and himself tucked into the tiny heart shaped frame. He remembered the moment in the picture, taken during a picnic at the castle ruins. Harry had snapped the picture, extending the old polaroid-style Fae camera out with his long arm. They were wrapped in each other, Louis smiling broadly at the camera while Harry smiled at Louis. The happiness of the Louis and Harry captured in the film contrasted starkly with Louis’ reality. The stresses of the human world and the distance from the Faery Realms was creating a new distance between them. And Louis’ added dishonesty to hide the Trials was only growing the divide. 

Louis knew that the emotional distance he felt was only temporary. His efforts in the Trials would close the divide. This Token from Harry’s home realm would help to create the bond that would connect them with the most powerful of Fae magic to all the Faery Realms. 

Louis reached out to the clouds, grasping at a wispy handful and collected enough to fill the locket. The swirling vapors leaked through his fingers as he brought it closer to the locket. He tipped the handful of cloud toward the open locket. The cloud poured over the locket, and magically the heart began to glow red. The enchantment activated and the cloud began to fill the heart shaped opening. The young Louis and Harry in the photo were quickly obscured by the dense cloud trapped by the magic. Louis emptied his hand, the rest of the cloud spilling out onto the mountain. 

He closed the two halves of the heart and the latch clicked shut. The red aura faded away quickly, leaving the locket exactly as it had looked before.

Louis kissed the shiny metal locket, thankful that his enchantment had worked. He had successfully gathered half of the Tokens. He was halfway to proposing! Louis smiled wide, like the young Louis in the locket had smiled. The relief he felt was enormous, a lightness that lifted his spirits and carried him back down the Mighty Summit for the last time.


	4. Fire

_A Flower from the Perpetual Volcano_

The heat of the Fire Realm was inescapable. The air was dry and hot and the ground beneath Louis radiated even more heat. His shirt clung to his skin. His hair was damp and his fringe stuck to his forehead. Despite how uncomfortable the heat was, Louis was excited to be in the Fire Realm.

He was in a new realm that he’d previously only seen in pictures. It was exhilarating and surreal, so different from the Earth and Air Realms that he was so familiar with. Louis wanted to take everything in. 

In his research about the Fire Trial, he had read about the strange environment of the Fire Realm. The main feature of the Fire Realm was the Perpetual Volcano, responsible for shaping the realm and giving life to so much of the unusual flora and fauna of the region. It stood tall on the horizon, visible from nearly everywhere in the village. 

The Perpetual Volcano was thankfully quiet for the time being. Only a small plume of ashy smoke puffed from the top of the volcano. It wasn’t always quiet, remnants of past eruptions were marked by deep hardened streams of lava tracked down the slopping sides. According to the meticulous Fire Realm records, another major eruption wasn’t due until the next century.

The Perpetual Volcano had been in a constant state of flux for many millennia. The Volcano would slowly leak magma for centuries. The minor lava flows snaked like rivers across the Realm. But occasionally, the Volcano would flare up, erupting violently for years. During these eruptions, the Realm would be covered in layers of ash and the terrain would be reshaped as lava flows hardened. Fire fairies had continually adapted to the harsh and ever-changing environment of their realm. 

Louis was thankful that the Volcano was in a calm period. He would not have been capable of even entering the Fire Realm if the Volcano was erupting. While Fire fairies had millennia to adapt to the harsh conditions, other fairies did not have any adaptations. The large volumes of gases and ash spewed during the violent eruption periods, along with the unpredictable lava flows and increased temperatures, would surely be deadly to fairies from any other realm. 

Even though the Volcano was in a calm period, Louis was keenly aware of all the possible dangers within. Caves could collapse, vents of hot gas could scald, boiling magma could melt flesh. Despite all of the dangers, Louis was ready to tackle his third Trial, to receive one flower from within the Perpetual Volcano. 

But first, Louis needed to buy a pair of shoes. Shoes were not a typical part of his daily outfit while in Faery. He did not like the tight restriction of shoes, but he had gotten used to wearing shoes in the Metal Realm when flying was not an option. As soon as he entered the Faery Realms, he’d left his shoes behind. But the Fire Realm was different. The lava flowing beneath them heated the ground and the rocks nearer to the volcano would be hot enough to melt the soles of his Metal Realm shoes. He needed special heat-resistant shoes to traverse the narrow paths through the caves where flying would not be possible.

After a quick stop into the general store near the transport location, Louis had a pair of shoes. Louis set off on his trek to the base of the Volcano. He flew through the village, marveling at all the strange curiosities of the realm. The houses were built with black bricks, and tarred roofs. Trees lining the streets lacked foliage and their charcoal bark looked ashen. Bright yellow and red orchids with wild patterns and crazy shapes sprouted from cracks in the ground. The ground had a marbled look with the fine red pumice gravel stratified with layers of dark grey ash in swirling patterns.

Louis flew down the trail to the volcano, following the banks of one of the larger lava flows. The hardened black lava at the surface was cracked. The spidery fractures revealed the molten orange lava currents below. 

The heat this close to the lava was making Louis sweat even more. A generally unpleasant stickiness coated his skin and wings. Sweat stains darkened the fabric of his shirt. His wings felt dry and weak, unused to flying in these strange conditions. But Louis pushed on. 

He got farther from the village and the houses spread out, each built farther from the last, until there weren’t anymore. Then it was just Louis and the boiling lava below him. Every so often a nearby gas vent would hiss or lava in the river would bubble. There were so many unfamiliar sounds in the realm and it kept Louis on full alert.

It wasn’t far to the base of the volcano once he’d left the edge of the village. He was unsettled and felt very out of place as he wandered farther into the Fire Realm. It was so disparate to where Louis had grown up. There was no plush green grasses carpeting the ground, or leafy canopies offering shade from above. Instead there were dozens of unfamiliar, grotesque plants growing from dry, red soil. All of the bushes had large thorns or spiky needles. Snarly vines climbed up rock formations with wiry black branches. The vegetation at the base of the mountain grew sparse and spindly. There wasn’t a single green leaf in sight.

Louis finally approached a cavernous entrance to the volcano, matching the location of the cave  
entrance that he’d drawn out on his map. 

Louis cautiously approached the cave. He looked back over his shoulder, toward the direction he’d come from, one last time. He took a deep breath, and then stepped forward, walking to the opening.

“Hey!” A voice called out. 

Louis stopped, turning toward the sound. A Fire fairy approached from across a distance, waving and calling out to get Louis’ attention. The fairy’s enormous flaming wings carried him across the field quickly. Louis had never seen a Fire fairy’s wings before. As the fairy flew, the movement of the wings reminded Louis of the dancing flames of a bonfire. Each wing was made of two large lobes, the edges frayed and jagged. They were colorful, a gradient of red at the center, blending to orange, then to yellow at the tips. Deep red veins extended through each lobe. They were beautiful in a fierce way. 

The fairy landed a few meters from Louis and walked cautiously. He was a brawny fairy, sleeves cut off of his shirt to reveal toned arms. His skin was tanned from hours in the sun and his hair was flecked with silver from years of hard work. 

“Where are you headed?” The fairy asked, despite the obvious situation.

“Into the volcano.” Louis answered. 

“You’re going to Propose?” 

“That’s the plan.” Louis answered, trying to keep his anxiety from coloring his tone. With the volcano looming over him now, the perils of the task ahead of him swirled in his mind. He was on edge and this small talk was only prolonging his Trial. But he didn’t want to be rude.

“Aww, that’s sweet. I’m sure they’re lucky to love you. Do you have a torchflower?” 

“What’s that?” Louis had prepared for the Fire Trial for weeks but hadn’t come across any mention of torchflowers. His nerves clawed at his stomach. He felt unprepared and foolish for assuming that the Fire Trial might be straightforward. 

“It’s a native flower that grows wild around these parts. The petals are highly flammable and slow burning, a good source of light. Come on, I’ll show you.” The fairy waved him over and Louis followed, not wanting to turn down free advice.

As they flew a few meters from the cave the fairy introduced himself, “I'm Erwin." 

"I'm Louis." 

"Nice to meet you, Louis. I’m a farmer. Grew up just down the hill there.” He pointed somewhere to the left, and continued before Louis could comment. “Come from a whole family of snake farmers. Eleventh generation. Snakes are tricky animals. Can’t be fenced in too well. So, I often have to round them up from the caves. It’s easier to see my snakes with the flowers, y’see. Their scales shine back the light. Ah, here we are!” The fairy stepped down onto the red soil, surrounded by a field of torchflowers. Growing from the dry red soil were hundreds of grey bushes dotted with thousands of dark red flowers. 

“These are torchflowers. You just find a good bloom, break off the stem, and then when you’re ready to use it, scrape the petals across a black rock like this.” The fairy demonstrated. The moment the petals scraped against the rock, a spark ignited the petals into a bright yellow flame. The flame crackled and sparked until it settled into the contours of the petals, the whole bloom aglow. Louis could see how the flower will be useful inside the cave. It was nearly too bright to look at. 

“Now you try.”

Louis appraised the bush, selected a flower, and thanked the bush. He bent the stem to snap it off. 

“Woah, woah!” The fairy grasped Louis’ arm suddenly, stilling his movement. “Careful! Don’t let two flowers touch or the whole field could set. Be gentle. Try again.”

“Alright.” Louis held his breath, afraid that one wrong movement will destroy the entire field of flowers. He twisted the stem and it snapped free. He held up the flower.

“Very good! Now just light it when you get far enough into the cave.”

“How do I put it out?” Louis asked.

“You don’t. It will glow for at least a year. When you're done with it, leave it on a rock or something. Just be careful not to burn yourself.” The fairy winked.

“Yes, that seems to be the key here.” Louis chuckled.

“Well, now that you have a torchflower, I’ll leave you be.” 

“Thank you for the help, and the flower.” Louis shook his hand in departure.

“No problem. Stay safe, Louis. And good luck with the Proposal!” The Fire fairy took off, flying fast over the torchflower fields.

Louis flew back to the entrance of the cave with his unlit torchflower in hand. He felt more prepared now, but still uneasy about all the perils that laid ahead. With one last deep breath. Louis set off. He flew through the cave, his eyes immediately adjusting for the lack of light. He didn’t need the torchflower yet, but he held tightly onto its stem and kept it from scraping against the cave walls.

It wasn’t far into the cave before Louis came across the first fork in the path. The cave split into two narrow tunnels. He paused staring down each path. But the darkness was beginning to deepen. He couldn’t see anything in the cave. Louis withdrew his hand drawn map, and checked the marked path. He should go left. Based on the first-hand accounts and other maps he had found, all paths in the volcano would eventually lead to the inner chamber of the Perpetual Volcano. The path he had marked was hopefully the quickest, barring any major changes to the cave structure or rockslides blocking his path.

He tucked his map back into his pouch and decided it was time to finally light his torchflower. He scraped it across the black rock of the cave wall and it lit up the entire tunnel. The damp cave walls shone in the flickering light. Louis held the torchflower out toward the two tunnels and peered down them. He couldn’t see much, just endless cave ahead. So, he continued. 

Ssssss. He whipped around toward the sound in the otherwise quiet cave.

Louis shrieked. The torchflower light illuminated the black and red scales of a large snake. It was curled on a rock, too close for Louis’ liking. The snake lifted its head and flicked its tongue. It hissed again. Ssssss. Louis should have asked the farmer if his cave snakes were venomous. It was too late now, he’d just have to be careful and hope that they were friendly. 

Louis continued through the tunnel, constantly sweeping the light of the torchflower from side to side, keeping an eye out for any other stray snakes that he might find. But luckily, he didn’t find anymore. 

Deeper into the cave, the ceiling lowered and forced Louis to walk. There was no longer enough room to spread his wings to stay airborne. Jagged rock formations cropped out at unpredictable angles. The path narrowed into a smaller hole causing Louis to crawl through feet first so that he could fit through the gap. His wings were tucked up tightly against his back and his clothes got very dirty. A claustrophobic feeling tightened his chest. Despite the discomfort Louis carried on, following his intuition and his map to seek out the inner chamber.

In the distance, Louis could hear chirping sonar of bats, active in the dark recesses of the cave. He knew from his research that the bats did not live in the inner chamber, but off to side chambers where it was not as hot. 

So, Louis moved away from the bat sounds, nearing another challenging section of the cave. 

The path narrowed again, falling into a steep drop-off. He flexed his wings and was thankful that he did not have to shuffle along the narrow edge, barely wider than his feet. But just as he thought that, he rounded the corner and was faced with that exact dilemma. The opening narrowed where his wings would not fit through and the ledge seemed even narrower at the prospect of needing to inch along on it. 

Louis landed softly and tucked his wings close to his back. He steadied himself for a few short breaths, he never was a fan of heights anyway. Well, they never said the proposal would be easy. He was doing this for Harry. 

He shuffled along, one hand steadied against the wall the other still clasping the torchflower tightly in his hand. Finally, he reached the other side. The path widened into a large shelf where he could freely walk around. Unfortunately, the ceiling was still much too short to fly, but at least he couldn’t see an imminent drop-off just below his feet. 

With solid ground beneath him, Louis took in his surroundings. The roaring, boiling noises and pressurized steam whistling from ground vents was getting louder. The inescapable stench of sulfur grew stronger as well. The putrid odor twinged his nostrils and he fought off the desire to plug his nose. It was likely only to get stronger as he neared the inner chamber. As far as he could tell from his research, the sulfurous gas wasn’t strong enough to harm, just enough to smell awful. 

There was also a new light source, a faint reddish light emanating from the next tunnel. If Louis’ map was correct, it was likely coming from the outer chamber. He followed the light, excited to be nearing the center of the Perpetual Volcano.

The outer chamber opened into a cavernous environment, with paths lining the perimeter. Louis shined the light of the torchflower around to take it all in. Wet streaks shimmered on the black walls of the cave, multicolored like oil slicks where they stained the wall. The ceiling was overgrown with stalactites. Many meters below, matching sets of stalagmites grew up from the depths of the chamber, extending like angry teeth. Their sharp points were another hundred reasons for Louis to be terrified of heights.

And the chamber was hot. It was an intense dry heat, worse than being outside on a hot summer’s day, without shade or water. Sweat dripped down Louis’ back and the dry air was hurting his wings. Every part of his body protesting the increasing temperatures. And it would only get hotter when he reached the inner chamber. Louis tucked his wings against his back, deciding to preserve them for his return journey. He panted as he continued through the outer chamber on foot.

Louis held the torchflower up to examine plants and flowers closer. There were so many strange plants in this Realm that he’d never seen before. There were black vines growing up all the cave walls, with thorny stems and leaves that looked like the texture of crushed velvet. White tulip shaped flowers glowed light, illuminating the path like a runway. A creeping moss carpeted some of the path with its deep purple leaves. It was a bizarre and beautiful realm. 

The path along the outer chamber narrowed once again, the center of the chamber extending down into the darkness. Louis felt queasy looking into the depths of it, knowing there were hundreds of pointy stalagmites that could impale him. He kept his back pressed securely against the wall as he followed along the path. He was fine. He just could not look down. He was making good time, inching along the path. Until a gigantic scorpion scurried across the path, like a creature from his nightmares. 

“Aghh!” Louis jumped. He startled and flailed, trying to catch his balance on the narrow ledge. In doing so he dropped the torchflower. Louis watched in horror as the torchflower fell. It plunged all the way down the chamber until it hit the bottom with a muted thud. The torchflower did not go out, but the light merely illuminated the serrated stalagmites below. It wouldn’t do Louis much good down there. 

“Fuck!” Louis shouted. It echoed through the chamber. He tried not to panic at losing his light source for the return trip out of the cave. 

One problem at a time. 

Louis wiped the sweat from his brow and pushed his fringe out of his face. He kept going. The red light from the inner chamber grew brighter. He followed the light down the path.

He turned a corner and the path widened, revealing the inner chamber of the Volcano. Louis was amazed at the sight. Rivers of molten lava cut through deep canyons of black rock. High above Louis, lava flowed from the cave wall, cascading into the river below like a fiery waterfall. The bright oranges and reds of the magma lit up the shining walls of the chamber. It was bright enough to search for the Token, even without his torchflower.

Louis looked around for the specific plant. He was searching for a low growing bush with growing red flowers. He’d learned that the flower grew in intense heat and was continually in bloom. Louis noted that there were very few plants growing at all along the path and no plants grew in the canyon. He searched all over the chamber, staying close to the walls. He didn’t dare fly over the boiling currents of magma, as he watched the molten liquid pop and splatter. The smallest splatter could burn through his wing in an instant. 

Finally, Louis spotted some vegetation, growing near the top of the lava spilling from the ledge above. Louis hiked his way up the narrow ledge, keeping his wings tucked close to his back. It was a steep hike to the ledge and his thighs burned, but it was worth the effort. The immortal flowers were everywhere. Their dazzling beauty stood out among all the other plants on the ledge. 

The flowers grew in large silver bushes. Many layers of silky red petals were packed into vibrant, round blossoms. The stems bent under the weight of the heavy blooms. The immortal flowers reminded Louis of the gigantic roses that grew in the park near their London flat. Whenever the weather was nice, Harry and Louis would walk hand-in-hand through the heirloom rose garden. It gave them a chance to reconnect with nature within the concrete human world. Harry would snap pictures of the prettiest blooms with his phone and Louis would find a stray blossom on the path and tuck it carefully into Harry’s hair. Their afternoons in the rose garden were some of the most peaceful times in the Metal Realm. 

Louis approached the flowers, ready to pick one and be on his way. The smell of the flowers grew stronger as he approached the bushes. The scent was lovely and all around. 

It was a familiar, intoxicating smell that reminded Louis of Harry’s skin. Sweet like icing sugar and soft like rose water, with just a hint of spice behind the lighter notes. Louis breathed in the sweet scent, closing his eyes to enjoy it. Louis recalled the feel of Harry’s soft skin, the fruity taste of his lip balm, the heat of their bodies touching. 

Louis’ cock twitched in his pants. He shook his head to clear his steamy thoughts. Now was not the time to be day dreaming about Harry. He needed to focus of this Trial and collect the Token without any distractions. 

The ledge was filled with hundreds of perfect flowers, in all stages of growth. Louis searched for an open bloom, bright red petals bursting from the stem like a firework. Once he’d found one that he could access without touching any of the sharp thorns, He bent down to pick the flower. 

“Thank you for the flower.” Louis said to the bush, brushing his thumb across a velvety silver leaf. He grabbed the stem and snapped it. It broke off cleanly. The broken end of the stem began leaking a pearlescent white milk. The milk dripped onto Louis’ hand. The milk was sticky and smelled like almonds. Tiny roots began to sprout from the stem, protected by the white milk that had dried into a protective coating. It was a bizarre process, but Louis pondered, that was likely why the plant was immortal, capable of rapid propagation and survival.

Louis lifted the blossom to his nose, taking in the scent of the immortal flower once more. The fragrance was so potent at the source that it made him dizzy. A wave of pure lust and carnal desire filled him. Louis closed his eyes, his mind flooding with visions of their most passionate moments. Louis sank into the memories, remembering the details. The firmness of Harry’s muscles, the heat of their skin, the brush of their bodies. His breath hitched. He was fully hard and already leaking. 

Louis remembered one night, and one unforgettable orgasm, in particular. It had been a stressful week ending with an especially challenging test in one of his university courses. He’d survived the test and dragged himself back to their flat, where he’d found Harry sprawled out on their bed in only dainty baby pink lace panties. But the panties were not the only memorable part of the night. Harry had truly outdone himself for his boy. 

He’d drawn the curtains tight and lit a dozen candles all over the room. The warm candlelight danced across the walls and shimmered against Harry’s exposed wings. They didn’t often drop their guises, even in the safety of their own home. But that night was special. Harry had his wings out. 

Louis’ breath stuttered and he dropped his coat to the floor. His mouth hung open in shock, as he admired his beautiful boy on display for him. It had been months since they’d gone back to the Faery Realms. Months since he’d seen the gorgeous iridescently magical wings spread out behind Harry. The wings trembled, betraying Harry’s eagerness. 

“Come here.” Harry patted the bed in front of him.

Louis stripped down, wasting no time before he’d climbed over next to Harry. They lied side by side, noses brushing. Harry’s hands reached for him, pulling him in for a kiss. It was soft and tender. Their kisses turned heated, until Harry was clumsily rutting against Louis’ bare thigh. Harry’s hand dragged down the bare expanse of Louis’ back.

“Lou, I want to see them. Please?” Harry whined as he traced lightly over the extra bones in his shoulders, where the wings were hidden by the guise. 

Louis chuckled under his breath, having forgotten that his own guise was still held firmly in place. Quick as a blink, Louis dropped the portion of the guise magically concealing his wings. The emerald green wings emerged from the glimmer, unfurling mightily behind him. 

It felt strange to have his fairy wings out in his human form, but a moment later Harry’s hands are on them, reverently tracing over each delicate vein. A shiver ran down Louis’ spine. Louis brought his hands to Harry’s back, unable to resist their beauty any longer. He traced over the edges of the wing. Harry moaned as he dragged his fingertip along the grain of the scales. Louis captured his mouth in another heated kiss, biting at his plump bottom lip. Harry got lost in the heat of the kiss, his hand stilled on Louis’ wing. 

“Lou please.” Harry whimpered, pressing his hard cock into Louis thigh for friction.

“Alright baby. Turn over.” Louis guided him onto his front, moving in between his spread legs. Louis sat back on his haunches, taking in the view of Harry spread out on full display just for him. His ethereal wings reflected a multitude of colors in the soft candlelight, sparkling fantastically as they trembled. Beneath the beautiful wings, Louis caught a glimpse of the lacy panties. His skin looked golden against the pale pink fabric. Louis wanted to bite, to mark him up. So, he did. He leaned in, biting the meat of his cheek, just above the thigh. He sucked and pulled until it was sure to mark up his unblemished skin. Harry’s hips rocked into the mattress, so Louis held them steady. Satisfied with the mark, Louis pulled back. Harry whined at the loss of Louis’ mouth. 

Harry was wet, the pink lace turning dark from being turned on. Louis traced a finger across the dampness, teasing the faintest of pressure over Harry’s hole. Harry bucked into his touch.

“So wet, baby. Are you ready for me?” Louis placed soft dry kisses across the small of his back and the tip of his wing. He dipped a finger beneath the waist band of the panties. Harry lifted his hips and they slid down his long, smooth legs. Louis tossed them on the floor. 

“Want you.” Harry canted his hips up, swaying his hips side to side.

Louis slowly opened him up with his fingers. When Harry was whining high in his throat and meeting every thrust, Louis pulled out his fingers. Harry looked up at him with pleading eyes. Louis kissed him deeply. 

“I want to see your beautiful face.” Louis said. He pulled back, moving until he was seated on the bed. Harry followed, arranging himself on Louis’ lap. He reached a hand back, holding Louis’ cock as he sank down onto the length. The tight wet heat surrounded him. Louis’ breath hitched and he had to focus to keep his hips still as Harry adjusted to the stretch. 

Harry tucked his head into the crook of Louis’ neck breathing in the earthy scent of fresh cut grass and sunshine. He slowly rocked his hips back and forth, shallow movements drawing out their pleasure. 

Louis’ hands found Harry’s wings, gently stroking down the length. Harry reacted to the extra stimulus, biting at Louis’ shoulder to hold back a groan. Louis continued to play with his wings as he rocked his hips to meet Harry’s movements, drawing out the prettiest sounds from his boy. 

They were both getting closer. The volatile energy built up and up as Harry started to ride Louis. The tight friction and the feel of Harry mouthing hungrily at his neck was pulling him toward the edge.

Louis pulled Harry into a kiss, licking into the heat of his mouth, suckling at his bottom lip as he barreled toward his release. He was so close. Harry’s hand caressed his wing gently. 

Louis moaned loudly.

The sound echoed through the chamber, shocking Louis back to reality. He wasn’t in their flat. Harry wasn’t here. Louis groaned, dropping his head into his hands. A fog of pleasure and almost-release clouded Louis’ mind. His thoughts continued to stray back to lust-filled memories. Louis shook his head to fight off the intense pleasure radiating through his body. 

Once he had come back to his senses, he realized that he is sat on the ground near the immortal flower bushes. The immortal flower he’d picked laid on the ground next to him. Louis picks up the flower, the scent wafting in the movement sparks a realization. His daydreams had been caused by the flower’s fragrance. When he’d smelled the flower directly, he’d gotten lost in a lusty haze. He was quick to tuck the flower into his pouch, hoping that the enchanted leather would contain the aphrodisiacal aromas. 

With the Token safely tucked away, Louis took stock of the rest of him. His arse was a bit wet and his cock was still very hard. Luckily, he’d stopped before actually orgasming. As bad as blue balls were, getting out of the volcano with jizzed pants would have been infinitely worse. Small blessings, and all that.

Louis adjusted himself in his trousers. After discovering what lascivious tricks the immortal flower could play on his mind, Louis had to get away from them soon. When he went to stand up, Louis got very lightheaded. He tipped forward. He reached a hand out to balance himself. But his hand landed in the bush, scraping against some of the thorny branches that he’d been so careful to avoid up until that moment. The sharp points dragged across his forearm, tearing into the skin and drawing blood. 

He landed in the bush, crushing a few of the nearly perfect blooms under his weight. The crushed petals underneath him turned blood red and shriveled. Louis pulled himself out of the bush, so upset over the damage he’d caused the plant. He watched aghast, as the bush turned dark. The bright silver foliage became ashen and the leaves dropped from the branches. One by one the bright red blossoms shriveled and dropped. Within moments, the bush had died. Louis stared in horror at the death his clumsiness had caused. 

“I’m sorry.” Louis whispered to the bush, unsure what had happened. With a panicked thought, Louis opened his bag and checked on his own immortal flower. The bloom was still intact and looking as healthy as ever. The tiny roots had even grown a few centimeters. He was glad that his own flower, as well as all the other bushes on the ledge, had not met the same fate as the bush he’d fallen into.

As Louis tied his bag shut, his ears picked up a strange sound. A low buzzing filled the inner chamber, growing louder around him. A bee came out from the center of the dead bush, flying fast and stinging Louis on his arm. 

Pain radiated from the sting immediately. stiffening his arm and sending fiery pins and needles down his limb. A swarm of fire bees dispersed out of the bush, few at a time, then more, the swarm growing to nearly hundred bees in a matter of seconds, the cloud of buzzing insects hovered above the field of immortal flowers protectively. They were protectors of the immortal flowers, and Louis had disturbed their charge. 

Adrenaline mixed with the searing pain. Louis screamed, a release for the heat coursing through his body. He backed away from the bush, hoping that he could get away before others attack. He tried to fly down the path, but when he turned his back toward the bush, another bee stung the joint of his left wing. The burning venom spread quickly, closing around his chest, shortening his breath painfully. He felt like he’s been stabbed with fiery knives. He seized his wing close to his back, tucking it tightly against his body to keep it from shifting or moving. It was a futile attempt to reduce the pain searing through his muscles with each movement.

The bees swarmed, ready for attack. Louis backed away as they closed the distance between him. He scrambled away from the ledge, hand stretched out to the wall to keep his balance as he ran down the narrow path toward the entrance to the chamber that he’d come through. He felt his heartbeat throb through his injured wing with every pounding step, every time his foot landed on the ground. He stumbled his heart rate increased. 

All the pain had melded into one flame, licking at his sanity. He had probably been stung more times, but he could no longer distinguish on painful source from the other. His eye sight narrowed down to only the path in front of him.

He had to get out, or the fire bees would sting him until the high levels of painful venom would cause paralysis. 

He had to keep going despite the pain. He had to, for Harry.

* * *

Louis woke up groggy and disoriented. Light burned when he tried to open his eyes. He groaned and squeezed them shut. His limbs were impossibly heavy and the quilt was crushing him.

“Louis? You awake?” It took Louis a moment to identify Zayn’s voice. He sounded worried. 

“Nghn.” Louis grunted.

“Oh, thank the gods! Boys, he’s awake” Zayn shouted. His voice was too loud. Louis tried to turn over and go back to sleep. He screamed from the pain as his entire body tensed up. 

“Louis, stay still.” A soft hand on his shoulder kept him from moving. Not that he would try again anyway. He was in so much pain. Everything went black. 

When he awoke a second time, Louis was more alert but still very sore. His limbs were wrapped in poultices. Various bottles and tubes were lined up on the bedside table, looking like a shelf in a pharmacy. At least fairies heal fast, he thought.

Zayn noticed that Louis was awake almost immediately. He rushed to his side, bringing with him a glass of water. He helped Louis sit up to take a sip. Then he explained that it had been two full days since he’d gone to the Perpetual Volcano. 

Louis tried to get out of bed, fighting against the intense pain as he moved his legs. He’d told Harry he’d be back that night and he needed to return to the Metal Realm.

“Louis, stay. You aren’t in any shape to be walking around, much less transporting between realms.” Zayn insisted.

“But Harry-”

“I told Harry that you were staying one more day. It’s alright.” 

“Oh.” Louis deflated back into the bed. His limbs felt like lead from the sudden activity. 

“I’d tell you how stupid and reckless you’ve been, how this is a terrible Idea. But you need your rest more than you need another lecture.” Louis’ eyes drifted shut.

He spent another day immobile on Zayn’s bed, recharging as the poultices and energy of the Earth Realm repaired and recharged his damaged body. 

By the next day, he was feeling much better, able to walk around Zayn’s house on his own. Louis had just successfully brewed some tea and sat down at the table when Zayn finally explained how Louis had ended up back in the Earth Realm. The last thing he remembered was the loud buzzing of bees and the intense pain as they stung him.

Zayn explained, “A Fire fairy transported you back. He said he’d met you before you’d gone in and had been watching to make sure you’d get out. It was near dusk when you’d managed to crawl out and he said you’d mumbled my name before you’d passed out. We got you back here and I called for the doctor. The doctor did a lot to fix you up, but it was pretty bad, Louis.”

“How bad?” Louis needed to know.

“The doctor stayed with you the first night, monitoring you and giving you all sorts of potions. He didn’t know if you’d make it to morning. The Fire fairy had said it was fire bees?”

Louis nodded gravely.

“Jesus, Louis.” Zayn said. When Louis didn’t say anything further, Zayn added, “Niall and Liam will be back this afternoon. I’d sent them home to sleep after you’d woken up the first time. They wouldn’t leave your side otherwise.” 

Louis felt tears stinging at the corners of his eyes. Zayn, Liam, and Niall were his closest childhood friends. They’d been inseparable before he’d met Harry and moved to the Metal Realm. Their intense concern was exactly why Louis hadn’t wanted to tell harry about the Trials. He couldn’t stand to see Harry worry over his injured body. He just needed to finish one more Trial and he could put this all behind him.

Liam and Niall had stopped by as promised to see Louis off before he returned to the Metal Realm. They offered warm hugs and stern words about staying out of trouble. And then Louis left, transporting back to the Metal Realm. 

He was still tired and weak, and the transport was unpleasant. He aimed for the hallway of his flat, but missed by a few meters. He landed in the alley behind his complex. It was late afternoon, golden light casting long shadows over the alley. 

Unfortunately, the alley was not empty. A trash collector was returning an empty can. Louis couldn’t get his full guise in place quick enough. The man startled, shouting and stumbling over his feet as he backed away. Louis must have looked terrifying, with shimmery eyes with cat-like pupils and the small green fairy-sized wings protruding from his human-sized back. Not to mention that Louis had literally appeared from thin air. 

Louis felt guilty about the slip up. It was one of the only times he’d dropped his guise in the Metal Realm, and the first time in front of an unsuspecting human too. But, he did not have much energy after the transport and his magic was unstable. He felt how untethered his magic was as he snapped the guise in place. 

With a guise held loosely around him, Louis carried his tired body up the three flights of stairs and to his flat. Inside, he found a simmering Harry. 

“Where have you been?”

“I was at Zayn’s.” Louis kicked off his shoes at the door, not bothering to line them up on the rug. 

“Really? Because Zayn called last night. He said you’d been too drunk to get home. That’s not like you.” Harry stated firmly, crossed arms closing off his frame. 

Louis tried to think of something to say that would sooth Harry’s worry. But his thoughts were thick like molasses, thick and syrupy. The room fell silent. 

“Is there someone else?”

“What?”

“Are you cheating on me?”

“Why would you think that? I love you.” Louis whispered in a very audible tired voice.

“Well it doesn’t seem that way. Going away at strange hours. Lying about where you are. Having Zayn cover for you.” 

“I can see how it looks. But I promise, I’m not.” Louis pled.

“Then what is it?” Harry threw his arms wide, as if expecting Louis to pierce him with some awful truth. 

Louis paused, unable to think of a response that wouldn’t give away his plan. He’d kept his secret for months already. It would be a shame to reveal it with only one Token left to go. Unable to keep up with the physical and emotional exhaustion sapping his energy, Louis’ guise dropped again. Without the guise, all of Louis’ bruises and half-healed injuries came into view. Harry gasped. 

“What happened?” He asked, voice thick with worry. He reached out to comfort Louis, but pulled back his hand at the last second, before he’d actually touched Louis’ arm. That more than anything pained Louis. They’ve always been tactile, never ones to second guess rushing into the other’s arms for comfort or touching the other for a moment of support. He can’t ever remember a time when Harry had fought the instinct to be close, to touch, and be near. Tears pooled in Louis’ eyes, hopeless to soothe Harry’s concern without revealing the secret he’s fought so long to protect. 

“What have you been doing?” Harry asked again. 

“I can’t tell you yet.” Louis choked out around the lump in his throat. Louis looked at the wall, the floor, anywhere but at the pain and confusion on Harry’s face.

“Of course, you can’t.” Harry said, voice tainted with a new vitriol. “That’s fine. I’m going to my mum’s. I’ll come back when you decide I’m worth the truth.” 

Louis stood stoic and in shock in the middle of the living room, unable to process what was happening. He remained in denial, even as he heard Harry packing a bag and grabbing his keys. 

It was not until the door locked behind Harry that Louis allowed himself to crumble. He collapsed into a pile of pain, heartache, and tears on the cold wood floor of their living room. Harry was gone. And it was Louis’ fault.


	5. Water

_A Pearl from the Perceptive Lake_

Harry was gone. He had been gone all night. Guilt and regret swirled around Louis, filling the silent rooms of their flat with haunting memories of the choices that had led to Harry walking out. 

At some point, Louis pulled himself off the floor and into their bed. He spent hours chasing a fitful night of rest. When he finally nodded off, his sleep was plagued with night terrors of his near failures. The slender branches of the Cherished Tree wrapping around his hands and ankles to hold him captive. The loose, shifting rock of the Mighty Summit crushing him as they tumbled down the slope. The lava of the Perpetual Volcano erupting, surrounding him in an inescapable fiery river. 

Louis awoke sweaty and drained once sunshine crept through the gap in the curtains. A rare day of London sunshine seemed ready to mock Louis’ misery. It was bright days like this that Harry would drag Louis out to the park to wander the rose gardens together. But Harry was gone. Louis’ chest tightened. It was as if the proposal meant to bring them together for eternity would instead bring them to their demise. 

Louis eventually gathered some strength to pull himself out of bed and pack a bag for himself. He grabbed a change of clothes, his notebook, some old books, and the scrolls he’d been reading for each Token. Lastly, he dug the magical box out of the back of the coat closet. He checked that the Tokens were present, bar the immortal Flower he’d left at Zayn’s for safe keeping. 

With everything he needed stuffed into his duffel, Louis transported to the Earth Realm. If Harry wasn’t in the Metal Realm, there was no point for Louis to be there either. 

He flew to Zayn’s grotto at the edge of the Realm. His wings beat slow and he stayed low to the ground. He was unable to find joy even in flying through his home realm when it felt like his heart was missing. 

He walked up the stone path and knocked on the bright yellow door. It opened and Zayn greeted Louis with an empathic look. It was possible Louis’ condition revealed more than he’d thought. The fight with Harry weighed him down. It was impossible to hide the dark circles under his eyes, the somber set of his mouth, and the heaviness in his posture. When he dropped his bag on the couch, Zayn pulled him into a long, much needed hug. 

Over a cup of tea, Louis spilled all that had happened with Harry. Once Louis had vented all of his anxieties, Zayn added to the bad news. Zayn explained that gossip was spreading through the realms that someone was doing the Trials and collecting Tokens. So far, the rumor was that someone had at least one token. It was possible all the secrecy and lies were for nothing. Harry could easily overhear this gossip in the Air Realm and the surprise would be ruined.

Louis deflated in his chair. He folded his head into his arms and sighed. 

Zayn rubbed a comforting hand on his back. “You know, it wouldn’t be the worst thing if Harry found out. It might help to have him know that way he can be worried about you for the right reason, instead of being worried that he’s losing you.”

“But it is supposed to be a surprise!” Louis sits up, determined to state his point. “I only get one chance to do this. If he hears from some stranger, it will ruin everything.”

“Louis, the stranger won’t be proposing. You are still the one with the Tokens, and with the love, that will give the Proposal meaning. You are the one that Harry will want, and it won’t matter it he suspects the Proposal or not. He will still be honored that you loved him enough to Propose. But for now, let’s not worry about those rumors. Let’s get you that last Token.” 

Louis looked at Zayn with his head tilted. Louis was astonished. “You aren’t going to talk me out of it? Even after last time?” 

“I can’t talk you out of it. You are the most stubborn person I’ve met. If you are set on completing this insanely dangerous quest, the least I can do is make it easier.” 

Louis jumped out of his chair and hugged Zayn, grateful that his friend was offering some much needed support. Louis was dreading the Water Trial. It was the realm he was least familiar with and the most challenging Token to access. His anxieties were further fueled by the nightmares of failing the Trials that he had experienced the night before. The intense visions of becoming trapped, crushed, and burned were making Louis second guess everything he had planned for the fourth and final Trial. 

But, Zayn’s offer to help him prepare for the final trial gave Louis hope. So, they began pouring over Louis’ notes and references about the Water Realm. It quickly became apparent that Zayn would not be suited for a trip to the Water Realm. Zayn wasn’t keen on water and flinched every time Louis read an interesting passage aloud. 

Zayn clenched his eyes shut for the third time as Louis began to read from a passage about waterfalls. 

“Zayn, it’s okay if you don’t want to go to the Water Realm.” Louis said. “I can do this.” 

“You almost didn’t make it back from the Fire Realm!” Zayn raised his voice. “If that Fire fairy hadn’t helped you, who knows what would have happened. I’ll be fine.”

“Would you be able to swim?” Louis raised his eyebrows in question. 

Zayn’s shoulders dropped and he exhaled loudly. “I guess you’re right. I can’t help you if I can’t travel through the realm. But you should still have someone there to help you.”

After a bit of discussion, they narrowed a short list of possible candidates to just one. Louis decided to enlist Niall to help. He agreed happily. It turned out that Niall was studying Faery politics and knew a bit about the inner workings of the secluded Water Realm. He also had the benefit of being sociable with even the most reticent people. 

So together, the three fairies prepared for the Water Trial. The Water Realm contained the most unknown variables of the four Faery Realms. Water fairies were isolated and solitary. They kept to themselves and were not known to be friendly to outsiders who entering their realm. There would be wards to deter outsiders from entering. 

They devised a Plan A to complete the Trial and a Plan B to get Louis back to the Earth Realm if Plan A goes to shit. Zayn packed a small first aid kit, throwing the essentials into a small bag for Niall to carry, while Louis sketched out the last of his four maps. 

By the end of the third day, Louis was ready to tackle the final Trial. Louis was completely healed of his previous injuries and had stored up his energy. They had maps and plans. They were as ready as they would ever be. Louis and Niall would leave for the Water Realm at dawn.

Just after sunrise, Louis and Niall transported to the entrance of the Water Realm. Or what should have been the Water Realm. But there was no village in sight. They had landed in a jungle, next to a winding river. The only distinguishing feature was a large rock, at least four stories tall, protruding from the center of the river. 

Louis was confused. They had expected to enter the Water Realm near a waterfall that led to the village. He had no idea where they were. 

“Where’s the waterfall?” Niall asked.

“I don’t know. It was supposed to be at the transport location.” Louis pulled out his map, reviewing the path he already had memorized.

“Do you think they’ve moved their transport location?” Niall thought aloud. 

“Is that even something they can do?”

“I think they could, if there was enough magic behind it.” 

“Well fuck. How are we supposed to find it?” They both fall into silence, taking in their surroundings. The jungle grew up tall around them, with trees and vines as far as Louis could see. The river sliced through the jungle, the trees parting for sandy banks and a rushing current. And the rock in the center of the river stood out. It was nearly as tall as the trees around them. The base of the boulder had been eroded away by the force of the water, narrowing in like the trunk of a tree ready to topple.

As Louis stared at the rock, contemplating if it would be best to split up or stay together while searching for the waterfall, the sunlight shifted through the dense canopy. It shined briefly on the top of the rock, illuminating a bright blue mark. The mark glowed in the sunlight, and nearly disappeared back into the shadow of the rock when the sunlight retreated. Louis approached the rock to get a closer look at what he might have seen.

Standing on the edge of the shore, directly in front of the rock, it didn’t look like much. The mark wasn’t visible. 

“What is it?” Niall asked, following Louis down the riverbank.

“I’m not sure. It could have just been a trick of the light. I thought I saw something. Watch the upper right corner.”

A few minutes later, Louis and Niall gasped, as once again sunlight illuminated a small mark on the rock. It was an ancient water glyph, familiar from one of the ancient scrolls Louis had. It appeared to shine, as if filled in with a clear blue resin. The glyph was just the sign Louis needed.

“We can’t be too far off. Let’s just follow the river.” Louis pointed behind the rock, where the river winded through more trees and disappeared into the dense jungle. They started off flying, following the current upstream. Gradually, the jungle filled with a low rumble. The rumble grew into a roar, until they were sure it was the unmistakable sound of water cascading into a river. The current below them became turbulent and frothy and mist filled the air.

The cool mist coated everything. Water droplets rolled off the waxy surface of their wings. The dampness on their skin was uncomfortable. Louis shivered, despite the warm humid air. 

They followed another bend in the river and finally, the waterfall came into view. It was magnificent. An impressive volume of water cascaded down from an incredibly high cliff. Louis craned his neck to take it all in. 

The waterfall was right in front of them, yet Louis felt the urge to turn around. The desire to go back increased as they flew closer. Louis’ stomach grew heavy with dread.

“Do you feel that?” Niall asked.

“Yeah, that must be a protection ward.” 

Despite the invisible magic telling them to turn back, they flew on. They finally reached the base of the waterfall and landed on the ground. The dread had morphed into a sensation of imminent danger. It was hard to ignore. But Louis continued to remind himself that it was a trick of the ward. 

Louis pulled out his map. Getting past the waterfall was a crucial step of the Trial. There was a secret cave hidden behind the falls. They needed to find the right opening to fly through. If they missed, they would fly into the cliff and the rushing water would pull them down. At least one fairy’s proposal had come to an unfortunate end when the falls had pulled their wings from their body and drowned them under the rolling current. Louis shuddered remembering the cautionary tale he’d read the previous night. 

This was literally life or death. 

Louis pulled out his map again. He followed the map directions, pointing out the landmarks along the way. The rock that jutted out at the base, the ledge with a tree on the end. The mark he was searching for was three-quarters of the way up the waterfall. It was a similar glyph to the one that had marked the rock in the river. This mark was much easier to see, shining wet with water and highlighted by bright sunshine. 

“There!” Louis shouted when he’d narrowed in on the location. He explained it to Niall. “If you follow that Water mark across the falls horizontally, and draw a line straight up from the trunk of the tree on that ledge, the cave should be where the two intersect.” 

Niall’s eyes widened, blinking rapidly in disbelief. “I’m supposed to trust some document from hundreds of years ago that that tree is still growing in the right direction? And that the Water fairies haven’t found a way to move the cave entrance? They did manage to move a whole transport location, after all.”

Louis sighed. “You’re right. It’s too dangerous. You don’t have to go through the falls. Just wait out here until I get back.”

“No, no, no. I am not leaving you go alone.” Niall said. “I said I’d come with to help you. And I will. And besides, scary waterfall of death or not, I want to see the Water Realm. This is probably the only chance I’ll get.”

“Alright. If you’re sure?” 

Niall nodded.

“Let’s do this! See you on the other side.” They took off, gaining altitude until they were hovering at the height of the Water mark. Louis glanced down, arranging himself directly above the tree on the ledge. He stared into the white wall of water in front of him. 

His heart was beating rapidly, the nerves were turning his stomach, and the power of the ward fought to hold him back. He took a deep breath. Then, he surged forward, flapping his wings to power him toward his fate. He flew straight on, into the water, clenching his fists and holding his breath as he approached the wall of water. His body sliced through the curtain water, passing through without incident. He came out the other side and slowed his wings to hover. He was in the cave!

He let out a forceful, relieved breath. Niall passed through the water just seconds later. 

They hugged tightly, relieved they’d succeeded.

“We made it!” Niall shouted. Louis laughed, relieved that he hadn’t ended up wingless and drowned by the waterfall. Adrenaline raced through Louis. He felt energized and victorious after conquering the waterfall. And the protective wards seemed to have lost their effect inside the cave. The imposing sense of danger and instinct to turn back fell away, leaving room for excitement and curiosity. 

Louis and Niall flew through the cave toward the light at the far side. The cave was formed in white sandstone, carved out by a small river flowing along the floor. It was damp and musty, and the walls were covered in layers of green mosses. The cave widened, opening into the village before them. The village was built on top of a blue-green lake, dammed on all sides by the sandstone cliffs. Giant lily pads dotted the surface of the lake as far as they could see.

Louis and Niall hovered over the water. It was beautiful. Lotus flowers and lilies sprouted from the lakes, seaweed sprouted from the shallow depths near the cliff walls, growing partially out of the water. 

Before they could fly into the village, a booming voice shouted, “Halt!”

A Water fairy flew up to them, blocking the exit of the cave. His posture emulated a gladiator, standing tall and broad and holding a menacing spear in hand. His bare chest was painted with geometric designs, highlighting the contours of defined pecs and abs. Behind him, large wings flowed from his back. They were sapphire blue, with rounded edges. each segment of wing was shaped like a droplet of water. 

“What business do you have in the Water Realm?” The warrior questioned.

“I’m here to complete the Water Trial for a Fae Proposal.” Louis stated.

The guard tensed and looked at him like he was insane. 

“He’s here to get one pearl from the depths of the Perceptive Lake.” Niall added.

“No one has attempted this Trial in at least a hundred years.”

“It’s the last Token he has to collect. He’s already got the seed from the Cherished Tree, some cloud from the Mighty Summit, and an immortal flower from the Perpetual Volcano.” Niall bragged. Louis face heated and he elbowed Niall not-so-subtly in the side. While the risk of gossip leaving the Water Realm was small, Louis was not prepared to hear his accomplishments spoken aloud. Collecting Tokens was a rare and impressive feat by any standard. Louis didn’t want to boast, especially when there was still a chance of failure.

The warrior looked impressed. “So, you’ve really gotten three Tokens?”

“Yes.” Louis answered.

The warrior’s face softened. “Wow, that must be some love. Good luck! And welcome to the Water Realm!” The warrior stepped aside, letting Louis and Niall into the village. 

They wander the village in awe, walking across the lily pads on the surface of the lake. They hop from one pad to the other. Small lily pads connect the village like stepping stones. Larger lily pads hold the houses of the Water fairies, who peak out of their doors and windows to see the strangers. 

They followed their map through the village, stopping at a tall orange coral tree. The coral tree grew out of the lake on the edge of the lily pad village. Beyond the tree, the blue-green water of the lake extended out in all directions, the calm surface interrupted by the occasional boat or island. Several islands sprung up from the lake, the largest and most central of them was Lionilus Island, where the coral reefs are said to be. 

This tree was where Louis planned to part ways with Niall. The water of the Perceptive Lake was perilous and deceiving. For the best chance of survival, they had agreed that Niall would remain here on the lily pads. 

Louis took one deep steadying breath to calm his nerves as he looked toward Lionilus Island. He mentally reviewed the plan one more time. He would fly across the lake, avoiding the water for as long as possible. He planned to stop at one island, giving him a chance to rest his wings and restore his energy. Then he would continue flying to Lionilus Island. He shouldn’t have to get into the water until he was searching for the pearl. Once he’d found the last Token, he would dry off and fly back, tracing his steps back to the village. In theory, it seemed like a reasonable plan, but the magic of the lake was said to be unpredictable. Louis didn’t know how the water of the Perceptive Lake would affect him, but staring at the lake wouldn’t get him any closer to the Token. It was time to go.

Louis turned back to Niall and pulled a letter from his bag. It was a carefully folded sheet of paper with Harry scrawled across the front in his most careful handwriting. It was a letter he thought to write while he lied awake the night before, unable to sleep with night terrors of previous Trials antagonizing his sleep. He wrote the letter by dim candlelight, until the ink had smeared with his tears. He’d signed his love away, should disaster strike. If he didn’t make it back, at least Harry would know the truth. 

“This is for Harry. Just in case.” Louis said through the thick tears in his throat. He handed the letter to Niall with a shaking hand. 

Niall took the letter and pulled him into a tight hug. “You’d better come back.” 

Louis squeezed Niall tightly before releasing from the hug. “I plan to.” 

Louis swiped at the tears pooling in his eyes. Before he could change his mind, Louis took off. It was unsettling to fly over open water. None of the other realms had such large bodies of water. 

Without ground below him to tap into its energy, the Water’s magic muted his Earth magic. 

Louis focused on the first island, keeping the sandy shore in his line of sight. It helped steady his nerves. 

Louis had underestimated how powerful the Water energy would be. In all the other realms, there had been ground below him, a direct connection to the Earth energy. He hadn’t given much thought to the energies in the Air and Fire Realms because they had strong connections with the Earth Realm. But with water covering the entirety of the Water Realm, the Earth energy was diluted as it radiated from the bottom of the lake. By the time the energy reached the surface, it was so weak Louis could hardly detect it at all. 

Louis knew that flying was sapping his energy. But as difficult as flying was, it was still safer than swimming through the water of the Perceptive Lake. The magic in the lake was so potent that it could distort reality. Louis needed to limit his exposure to the water as much as possible to safely finish this Trial.

A surge of Earth energy coursed through him when he landed on the island. He rested on the dry sand for a moment, basking in the undiluted energy. Walking across the small island allowed Louis a much needed chance to replenish his magical energy. But, Louis did not want to spend too much time on this island. He was impatient to finish his trials. The sooner he completed the Water Trial, the sooner he could propose to Harry and make up for all his lies. His heart felt heavy as he imagined how much pain he’d already caused Harry. If he kept moving forward, he should return to the village before the sun set. By morning he might be engaged!

Louis reached the far shores of the island and immediately stretched his wings, taking off toward Lionilus Island. The central island in the Perceptive Lake, Lionilus Island was also the largest. The water around the island was home to hundreds of unique aquatic species. Coral reefs developed in the shallower waters of the western shore and sharks teemed in the cooler waters of the northern shores. Louis landed on the southern edge of the island after crossing the deepest part of the lake. Louis sprawled out on the dry sand on the shore. He savored the feeling of the Earth below him. The flight over the second stretch of lake had been even more tiring than the first. 

Louis rested only long enough to regain his energy. Then he was back on his feet, walking to the west side of Lionilus Island. He was still determined to finish this Trial before the sun set. The sand grew finer, coarse rocky sand was exchanged for glittery shell sand nearer to the coral reef. It was much softer under Louis’ feet. 

He followed his map out to the sandbar extending from the western point. The water here was shallow and crystal clear. Louis could see down to the reef below, where colorful fish swam through seaweed and bright coral covered the ground. As beautiful and harmless as it looked, Louis was still apprehensive about swimming around the reef. 

Louis dipped one toe into the water. It was warmer than he expected, and he didn’t immediately feel any different from touching the water. Louis waded further into the shallow water. He walked until the water was up to his thighs. He switched to swimming. He kept his wings tucked tightly behind him, out of the way as his arms sliced through the warm water. 

Now that Louis was in the water, he felt much calmer, surer of himself and his ability to find a pearl. He wasn’t even that worried about the magical water. So far it didn’t seem to have an effect on him. He swam parallel to the shore of Lionilus Island, searching for any oysters hidden among the corals and seaweeds. It was difficult to distinguish rocks and sand from oyster shells. He would take a breath, dive shallowly under the surface, and swim along. 

Tiny fish followed him. Bubbles from their occasional gulps tickled his legs. He saw starfish, eels, and sponges. But no oysters. Louis surfaced to take another breath. He treaded water and reoriented himself. He spun around to locate the sandbar he’d come from. But there was no sandbar. He turned to his right. Lionilus Island was still there. He followed the shore with his eyes, back to where he was sure the sandbar had protruded from the lake. But it was not there. Maybe there was a bit of a tide, rising the lake water and temporarily covering the sandbar. That had to be it, Louis tried to convince himself. He wasn’t too concerned. As long as he could see the island, he would be fine. 

He ducked below the surface, continuing his search. His legs and arms were tired from swimming and his lungs burned from the lack of constant breath. But he was determined. Louis kept going, scouring the lake bottom for any shell that could be an oyster. Finally, his hard work paid off. There was a shell sitting at the bottom, among a few yellow coral plants. 

Louis dove down and picked up the shell. It was large, taking both of his hands to pry it open. With a bit of struggle, the shell popped open. But there was no pearl. He closed the shell and kept going. There had to be more than one oyster in this lake. 

A little farther out, something was sticking out of a pile of rocks. It looks promising. Louis swam out to the underwater rock pile. The current out here was slightly stronger, but Louis felt sure that this would be it. Sure enough, there were oysters all around the rock pile. 

Dozens of shells laid open, some with pearls on display. But all of the exposed pearls were greyish in color and marked with imperfections from exposure to the elements. Louis needed to find a fresh pearl to get the one worthy of being a Token. 

Louis picked up a closed oyster shell from the rock pile. It opened very easily, and a tiny pearl fell out. Louis picked it up carefully and examined it. The pearl was oddly shaped and had no luster. Louis sighed. He picked another oyster. This one was twice as big, and he struggled to open it. Finally, with the oyster lodged against a crevice, Louis used all of his force and pried it slowly open. Inside was the most magnificent pearl. It was dazzling, with a rainbow of soft pastel colors shimmering. It was perfectly round and fit in Louis’ hand, the size of a ping pong ball, but much heavier. It was perfect. It felt solid, but he knew that pearls were soft and easily damaged. He carefully wrapped it in the soft fabric and tucked it into his bag for safe keeping. Louis was elated after collecting the fourth and final token. Now all he had to do was make it back to the village. 

Louis pushed off the bottom of the lake and broke through the surface. He took a few gasping breaths and treaded water. He turned himself around, seeking the shore of Lionilus Island to start his swim back to shore. But there was no island. As far as he could see, the lake extended in every direction. All of the islands were gone!

Louis squeezed his eyes shut and tried to stay calm. Maybe he had swam out farther than he thought. Louis ducked his head under water to orient himself according to the rock pile. At least that was where he remembered it. He lifted his head from the water. But once again, everything about the surface of the lake had changed. This time, there were dozens of tiny islands in the distance. Surely the dozens of new miniature islands were just a trick of the eye. Louis blinked a few times. They didn’t disappear. As Louis started to swim to the nearest one, the distance never shrunk. The islands were always on the horizon, out of reach even as he swam in their direction. 

Louis’ chest tightened. He treaded water as he collected his thoughts. First, the sandbar disappeared. Then, the largest island disappeared. And now, there were dozens of islands. This had to be a hallucination. Logically, Louis reasoned that this was probably one of the many tricks of the Perceptive Lake. Unfortunately, as logical as he tried to be, Louis couldn’t prevent his mind from conjuring visions of drowning, swimming until he grew so tired that he gave up. 

Louis ducked under the water once more to clear those morbid thoughts. He had to stay positive and clear-minded. The coral reef was still below him. The reef was his only hope at making it out of this lake.

Louis resumed his journey. Alternating between swimming at the surface and diving under to track his progress. Every time he surfaced for a breath, the scenery before him changed. Each new island and all the disappearing landmarks were an illusion created by the magical water.

It was very disorienting. 

It felt like Louis had been swimming for hours. He could have been swimming in circles for all he knew. But finally, the coral reef faded, giving way to sparkling sands. Louis pushed himself harder. His arms sliced and legs kicked through the water with renewed vigor. The water became shallower, until Louis could stand. He walked through the water, his legs heavy and tired. The water gave way to familiar sandy ground. Louis fell onto his knees as he recognized the sand bar that he had left. By luck and will, Louis had made it out of the lake! 

He felt a tiny surge of energy flow through him as he connected to the ground below him. Louis shook off the excess water from his wings and spread them open across his back. The warm sun would help to dry them as he walked. He was very tired from the effort of swimming, and his energy was still incredibly weak from the time spent in the water. He hoped that the walk across the island would be enough to get him to the next island. He reached the south end of Lionilus Island without problem. 

His wings were mostly dry, and he was ready to leave this awful lake in his past. He had had enough of the Perceptive Lake and its magical illusions. 

Louis pushed off from the shore of Lionilus Island and began the flight to the next island, retracing his earlier journey along the chain of islands. It felt much better to be relying on his wings, since his legs and arms still ached from swimming. He cruised high above the deep water, making good time. He felt giddy at the possibility of proposing to Harry, picturing them under the moonlight as he presented all the Tokens and declared his love. 

He landed on the island with a sigh of relief. He could not believe his luck. He had succeeded in getting the Token and was just about back to the village. The sun was just beginning to set. 

Louis walked across the center of the small island. He reached the opposite shore and looked out at the horizon. From here he could barely make out what might be the coral tree at the edge of the village. The sky had turned into a vibrant watercolor gradient of oranges and pinks. He had about an hour to get back to the village before the lake would plunge into darkness. 

Louis contemplated his options. He knew that he was still a bit weak from the flight over the deepest waters. He hadn’t been on the island long enough to fully recharge and his magic was not as steady as he would have liked. But the sun was setting and darkness wouldn’t wait. He was completely unfamiliar with the Water Realm. He did not know if he would be capable of finding his way back to the village in darkness. 

Louis weighed his options and decided to take the chance. The thought of Harry spending another heartbroken night alone was too painful to bear and Louis knew he needed to get back to his love. 

He waited as long as he dared, until a bit of dark blue crept into the eastern sky. Then he took off, flying toward the village and hoping he was strong enough. 

Louis was only halfway to the village when he knew he was in trouble. His magic weakened with every beat of his wings. He had taken a calculated risk, and it seemed he ended up on the wrong side of the coin flip. It was likely that he would run out of energy. 

Louis had the shores locked in his sight and he ignored the menacing water below. He pushed on, hoping to outlast the inevitable. But sheer willpower was not enough. Flying faster only drained his magic faster. He struggled to stay aloft. Fighting against gravity only made the situation worse. When his wings couldn’t hold him any longer, Louis plummeted through the air. He had used all his magic and had no choice but to fall into the deep waters of the Perceptive Lake. 

He crashed through the surface, water engulfing his tired body. He sank down, down, down. This far from the island, the lake was deep and dark. And cold, so cold. The chill of the water pricked his skin like sharp needles. Louis struggled to right himself under the water. He kicked his legs frantically. His arms flailed and his lungs burned. He pulled himself toward the light. He broke out of the water, gasping and sputtering as he tried to stay above the surface. 

Now that Louis was back in the lake, he was under the influence of the magic. The ever changing surroundings make it nearly impossible to keep his bearings. Every time he blinked the landscape would change. Landmarks would move or disappear completely. New islands would spring up and whirlpools would swirl the water. Louis was at the mercy of the lake. 

The only thing Louis could do was keep swimming. His arms and legs burned from the hours of swimming, but he could not stop. He was swimming back to Harry. 

Every so often, Louis would blink and he’d capture a glimpse of what he was sure was the actual shoreline. It seemed more defined and concrete than the illusions formed by the Lake. He clung on to those brief moments of clarity. He would not let the Lake claim his mind without a fight. 

Louis didn’t know how long he’d been swimming. It felt like hours. But the sky overhead was not yet pitch black. Up ahead, Louis noticed a shape, silhouetted by the remaining sunlight. He focused on the shape, but it did not waver like the other illusions. It looked like a small boat. Hope filled Louis’ chest. Maybe Niall had found a boat and was coming to help him. Or maybe it was just a water fairy fishing for dinner. Either way, a boat would be much better than swimming. The thought gave Louis a boost. His legs kicked harder, propelling him toward the shape. 

It was indeed a boat. It was a small row boat and one passenger. Louis called out, “Hey!”

The boater dipped oars into the water and paddled around to Louis. Louis treaded water, relieved that he would soon be out of the cold water. The boater slowed the boat and dropped a metal anchor over the edge to hold the boat in place. Louis looked up and gasped. 

Harry was sitting in the boat. His face was shaded and curls hidden under a wide brimmed hat, but it was unmistakably Harry. His tattooed arms were visible even in the twilight and his ring-clad fingers held onto one of the oars. Louis mouth dropped open.

“Harry? What are you- Why- How?” Louis sputtered. Dozens of questions rushed through his mind as he struggled to make sense of Harry’s sudden appearance. 

“I needed to see you.” Harry said.

“Now? How’d you find me out here?” Louis flailed his arms. But the sudden movement pulled him under the water. In the shock of Harry’s arrival, he’d forgotten he’d been treading water. “Never mind, you can explain later. Help me up.” Louis extends one arm toward the boat. 

Harry doesn’t react. He doesn’t reach for Louis. Louis’ heart sinks and his vision clouds with tears. He started swimming toward the boat again. Harry’s response stopped him in his tracks.

“You were fine doing this without me. Why should I help you now?” Harry said, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.

“Harry! Please! We can talk once I’m in the boat.” Louis said, his voice cracked. He reached his arm out to Harry again. 

Harry lowered the oars into the water. Louis’ heart rate spiked at the thought of Harry rowing away. He wouldn’t actually leave Louis out in the Lake? Would he? What had their relationship come to if Harry left him to drown? 

“Please, just get us back to the village. I’ll explain.” Louis pled.

“Goodbye, Louis.”

The oars pulled through the water with a sloshing sound. Harry started drifting away. Tears fell from Louis’ eyes. Desperately, he swam toward the boat. But Harry kept rowing away. Louis could not catch up. His tired limbs protested the frantic movements, but Louis kept chasing the rowboat. 

“I’m sorry! Harry!” He cried out. But the boat did not turn around. Louis was devastated. Louis began to sob, crying too hard to breathe. He stopped swimming, admitting his defeat. Harry had left him to die. Louis watched as the boat continued on, moving farther away.

He’d nearly completed all four Trials for Harry. And Harry had left him. The desperation clouded over with a white hot rage. Anger boiled in his chest. How could Harry turn from him so easily? After everything Louis had gone through for them. Louis wasn’t going to give up so easily. He was going to finish this Trial, even if it killed him.

Determined, Louis looked around for the coral tree. But in the time that he’d talked to Harry, the sun had fully set and he was surrounded by darkness. He couldn’t make out much. But Harry’s boat was still a shape he could clearly make out in front of him. 

And then it wasn’t. The boat vanished. Louis’ jaw dropped. The boat had been right there, with Harry slowly rowing away with Louis’ heart. But, now there was nothing but open water. Louis blinked and shook his head. He had fallen for another trick of the Water magic. The Perceptive Lake was manipulating his emotions and forcing him into terrifying false realities. He needed to get out of the water soon, before the false realities drove him mad. 

Louis strained his eyes, searching one last time for the missing boat. There was no boat but his eyes landed on a different shape. Louis made out the faint shape of the coral tree. The sight of the landmark gave Louis hope. He was close to the shore. Louis begins to swim again, more determined than ever to reach shore. 

He did not get far before his leg cramped up. The muscle seized and pain seared through his leg. Louis grabbed at his calf, trying to stay afloat while stretching the muscle. He looked down in the water, despite the darkness, Louis can see the problem. His leg cramped because he was tethered to an anchor. The metal anchor was tied to a rough rope wrapped around his ankle. The rope chafed his skin. The weight was unbearable, pulling Louis into the Lake. He tried to kick off the rope but it was wrapped too tightly. 

Louis struggled to stay afloat, as more tears filled his eyes. Louis was terrified. He couldn’t get free of the rope and the anchor was sinking slowly, as if moving through molasses. The rope tugged his leg harder. Louis’ head was barely above the water. Louis thought of Harry and the secrets that had led him to this moment. He should have told Harry he loved him. Why hadn’t he told Harry he loved him?

He needed to tell Harry he loved him. 

Louis gasped for breath and ducked under the water, determined to untie the rope and get away. But as he grabbed the rope in his hand it disintegrated and he was freed. Louis came to the surface gasping for breath. He groaned. 

The Lake was still playing tricks on his mind. The illusions were getting more and more realistic. It was impossible to discern the illusions as they played with Louis’ vulnerable emotions. But, Louis realized, the illusions could only hurt him if their distraction led to drowning. The anchor did not actually weigh him down because it was not real. In his brief moment of clarity, the fear in Louis’ chest loosened. But he still was in the Perceptive Lake. There was nothing he could do, except keep swimming. 

Louis stared hard at the shoreline, until the coral tree came into focus. It was so much closer. Louis could see his finish line. He focused hard on swimming to his finish line. If he kept his mind on the tree, and only that tree, maybe the Lake wouldn’t be able to conjure any more false realities. 

He never let the tree out of his sight, no matter what other illusions appeared in his way. Not when a school of vulture eels circled around him. Not as a tsunami-sized wave rose out of nowhere. Not even when he heard Harry’s voice calling out to him. Louis ignored it all and swam toward the tree. His entire body ached. He dragged his tired arms through the water. His breath was shallow. His vision kept fading in and out as he stared at his finish line. 

Finally, the water became shallower. He was able to touch the bottom with his outstretched toes, then his feet. The edge of the village was right in front of him. He pulled himself onto the lily pad. 

“Louis!” Niall shouted, rushing toward him.

Louis stood, legs dragging as he stumbled toward Niall. His hearing went fuzzy and the ground shifted sideways. Louis collapsed. 

He came to as two pairs of strong arms carrying him. Louis opened his eyes and found that Niall and the warrior fairy were flying him through the village. They flew to the center of the village where there was a transport. 

Half conscious, Louis registered that they had stopped moving. “Come on Louis, stay with me. Just a little longer.” Louis leaned into Niall for support and fought to stay awake. 

“I’ll take him from here. Thanks for your help, mate.” Niall shook the warrior’s hand.

“No problem. Let me know how everything turns out. Good luck!”

“Will do!” Niall waved. And then Louis was spiraling through a transport. His depleted body was entirely reliant on Niall to transport him back to the Earth Realm. The sensation was overwhelming and dizzying. The pressure was intense and his ears roared. Colors flashed and lights spun, creating a bright kaleidoscope of patterns in his eyes. 

He snapped into the Earth Realm. And then Louis collapsed.


	6. Love

_A Love across the Faery Realms_

Louis woke up in Zayn’s bedroom again. 

Liam, Niall, and Zayn were all pacing around the grotto, worrying their lips and silently praying to the gods that Louis would wake up. 

And he was awake, despite all the ways his body protested. His head pounded, his limbs felt like lead, a and his throat was parched. He groaned. The noise alerted the other three that he had woken up and they rushed to his side. 

“Are you awake?” Liam quietly asked. “How’re you feeling?” 

Louis mentally catalogued his current state. He felt exhausted, which was not unlike the other times he had returned from a Trial. But this time the physical exhaustion was paired with an awful mix of anxiety and heartbreak. His emotions were still tangled from the effects of the Perceptive Lake. 

“Alive. Barely.” Louis said, voice raspy from disuse.

The boys fussed over Louis, but he tuned out. Instead, Louis thought back to the last Trial. He struggled to piece together the chain of events that landed him in this miserable state. Disjointed memories came back, flooding him with details from the Trial. When he remembered swimming toward Harry’s boat as he rowed away, Louis gasped. Recalling the memory of that moment was nearly as painful as experiencing it had been. A tear rolled down Louis’ cheek and he swiped it away. 

Harry hadn’t saved him. But, then again, that had not been his Harry, just an illusion conjured by the Lake. His Harry couldn’t have saved him because he didn’t even know Louis was in danger. Harry was still in the Air Realm, probably imagining all the horrible secrets that Louis wasn’t actually hiding from him. Louis needed to get back to his Harry. He needed to tell Harry everything. He needed Harry to know how much he loved him.

Louis tried to pry himself out of bed. He got dizzy and the edges of his vision faded so he dropped back onto the pillow and breathed through the pain. 

“Louis, you should rest. Doc said to take it easy.” Liam informed him. 

“Do you need anything?” Niall asked.

“I need to see Harry. He needs to know what is happening!” Louis tried again, sitting up and swinging his sore legs over the edge of the bed, despite the wave of nausea and dizziness. He wobbled past Liam, leaning against the wall to walk toward the living room. 

He found his wooden box on the end table. All four Tokens and the rings were there. Louis covered his mouth with a shaking hand as he admired the contents of the box. He had done it. He had successfully completed all the Trials. All that was left was the Proposal. But first, he had to apologize to Harry and hope that he would want to talk. Louis grabbed the box and headed for the door.

“Louis, wait. You’re too weak. You need a day or two to recoup your energy.” Zayn tried to reason with him. 

Louis considered Zayn’s concern. But the distance between him and Harry was more painful than his physical injuries. And the heartbreak Harry must feel, too, is unbearable. Louis could not remember how many days it has been since Harry left, but it pains Louis to think about Harry growing more devastated as each day passed without Louis showing up to apologize.

Louis said, “Harry doesn’t deserve to wait that long.”

“Then at least wait until morning, when it’s light out.” 

“No, I can’t. I can’t’ wait.” Louis shook his head. Then, he picked up his box and walked out the door. 

He could feel the weakness as he flew to the transport, but he had at least a day to recover. He could not focus on the weakness, or the aches and pains. He had to get to the Air Realm and talk to Harry as soon as possible. Once he talked to Harry, he could spend as much time as he needed lying in bed and recovering.

The transported to the Air Realm was only slightly less awful than when he’d transported back from the Water Realm with Niall. The pressure around his body was still agonizing and the bright flashing lights stung his eyes. But luckily, he managed to stay conscious and landed on his feet. 

Louis stumbled through the village to Anne’s house. Her house was a modest cottage not too far from the transport. The house was dark and silent. He knocked quietly against the door. He heard movement in the kitchen and then the door swung open. Anne appeared in her nightgown, covering her mouth to stifle a yawn. When she noticed Louis at her doorstep she gasped.

“Louis!” She pulled Louis into a tight hug. When they dropped the hug, she asked, “Are you alright?” She held him at arm’s length to examine every facet of his worn out body.

He had large dark circles under his eyes and his hair had dried in every direction. His green wings were dim and droopy, hanging limply behind him. He swayed in place as his overly-sore muscles protested standing in the doorway. 

Anne pulled him inside and prepared tea. He was thankful for a chance to sit. 

“You know, I’d heard rumors of someone completing the Trials. I didn’t know it was you, at first. It wasn’t until Harry showed up that I suspected.” 

“You didn’t tell him?” Louis asked. 

“No, I didn’t think you would want that. I figured you had your reasons, so I tried not to meddle. And I wasn’t 100% positive, until now. But it’s clear that you’ve been through hell and back. Do you want to talk about it?”

Anne listened attentively as Louis described the Trials he’d completed, the Tokens he’d collected, and the surprise Proposal he’d planned. When Louis mentioned how terrible he felt that Harry had gotten hurt in the process, Anne took his hand and soothingly rubbed her thumb across the back. “Harry was upset by your lie of omission, but he would have been hurt even worse if you hadn’t been successful. I understand why you wanted this Proposal to be a secret, Louis. But decisions as important and life-altering as this should always be discussed together.”

Louis nodded, accepting the advice from his soon-to-be mother-in-law.

“Anyway, I’m so proud of you. I’m sure Harry will be too.” Anne added. The room fell into silence for a moment. 

“How is he?” Louis asked, addressing the elephant in the room. 

Anne’s face twisted with worry. “Truthfully, not well. Harry hasn’t left her house since arriving. He barely eats, and he sleeps all day. At night, Harry wanders out to the meadow.” 

“Can I see him?” Louis asked, worrying his hands under the table. 

“He went out to the meadow again. Left about an hour ago. He usually goes to the castle ruins. You should go.”

Louis hugged Anne again and thanked her for the advice. 

“Good luck, Louis.” Anne called out as he took off, flying toward the castle. 

Harry was sat in one of the large window sills in the castle. The glass was lost long ago to the elements, but the wall around it still held its shape. Harry looked out at the distant mountain range. His wings hung low behind him, the iridescent scales shining like rainbows in the moonlight. Louis paused to admire the wings, caught off guard by their sheer beauty. It had been so long since he’d seen Harry’s full fairy form. Longing pulled at his heart. 

When Louis got closer, he dragged his hand through the tall silver grasses. The wispy sound caught Harry’s attention. He turned around searching for the source of the noise. When he recognized Louis, he sat up straighter, back pressed firmly against the stone wall. 

Louis approached Harry cautiously, as if he would fly away if startled. He sat down on the window sill, just feet from Harry. Even that bit of distance felt too far. 

So, he slid over and reached for one of Harry’s hands. He held Harry’s hand, thumb rubbing over the cool metal of his rings nervously has he tried to put his thoughts into words. Harry continued staring at the mountains, but his voice cut through the silence. 

“Am I worth the truth yet, or have you come to tell me more lies?” Harry said, his voice gravelly from disuse. His tone was flat, holding back any emotion from giving away his feelings.

“You are always worth the truth, Harry.” Louis said ardently.

“Then why did it take you five days to come find me?” Harry said, his voice breaking on the last syllable. A tear rolled down his cheek as the wall he’d put up crumbled under the weight of his heartbreak.

“Oh, Harry.” Louis pulled him into a sideways hug. Harry tucked his head into Louis’ neck and clung to his shoulder. “I came as soon as I could.” Louis started crying too. 

“But, you didn’t.” Harry argued over a sniffle as he fought to control his tears. Louis tightened his arms around Harry and combed his fingers through Harry’s soft curls. Louis felt the gravity of the pain he’d caused Harry over the past few weeks. The guilt weighed heavy on his heart. 

“I’m so, so sorry. I should have explained everything sooner.” Louis wiped the tears from his eyes.

“You should have. We don’t keep secrets, Lou.” 

“I know, but I thought it would be okay.”

“Why would it ever be okay?” Harry hissed. Betrayal was written clearly across his face when pulled out of Louis’ arms. “We communicate, Lou. I tell you everything, you tell me everything. We’re a team.”

“I know. But I can explain.” 

“Explain away, then.” Harry waved his hand in front of them. 

“So, I was keeping a secret from you. And it got a bit out-of-hand. But I didn’t want you to worry. I can see now how that backfired.” Louis chuckled dryly. Harry opened his mouth, but Louis raised a hand to stop him before he could interrupt.

“And also, I wanted to surprise you.” Louis grabbed the wooden box next to him. Harry probably hadn’t even noticed it. Harry stared at the box in Louis’ hands, mouth slightly ajar in shock. 

Louis set the box in his lap and unlatched the lid. He angled it away from Harry’s curious stare as he took out Harry’s ring box. Louis’ hands shook as he closed the lid. Then, he turned toward Harry. Louis opened the velvet box, revealing the platinum band he’d selected. Harry’s hands flew to his mouth and his eyes welled with tears again. 

“Harry, I love you. You are my best friend and my soulmate. I would be honored if you would agree to be my husband. Will you marry me?”

“Yes! Yes, I will marry you!” Louis slid the ring onto Harry’s bare left ring finger. Harry pulled him in for a soft kiss. But Harry broke off suddenly. He pulled back, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Wait. That was the secret? But what about all the bruises, and the late nights, and-” 

“I’m not done.” Louis smirked. Excited butterflies fluttered in his stomach. Everything had led up to this moment, and he couldn’t wait to share the experience with Harry. 

“What?”

“There’s more.”

“More?”

Louis handed over the box and let Harry do the honors of opening it. Harry traced a finger over the delicately carved florals and their initials entwined in vines.

“Zayn?” Harry asked knowingly, recognizing their friend’s craftsmanship. 

“Yeah, Zayn gave it to me.”

“It’s beautiful.” Harry lifted the gold clasp and the front. Louis’ heart jumped into his throat. Harry lifted the lid and promptly burst into tears.

“Is this- How?” Harry looked at Louis, amazement shining in his eyes.

“The secret is, I’ve been planning a Fae Proposal for months.”

“I can’t believe-” Harry shook his head. He was speechless.

“The past few weeks I had been completing the four Trials. All the times I disappeared for hours, or days, all the strange behaviors and the bruises were because of the Trials.” 

Harry still hadn’t said anything. He just stared at the Tokens in the box. Louis reached into the velvet lined box and picked up the first Token. He held the small round seed between his fingers. The gilded flecks in the shell reflected the moonlight. “You are my strength. This is a seed from the Cherished Tree, to represent the stability of our Love.” Louis held it out for Harry.

Harry set the wooden box between them and then took the seed from Louis. He cradled it in his palms. Louis felt an aura of Earth energy activate around them. The bright smell of wildflowers and fresh cut grass swirled around them for a brief moment. It was overwhelming. 

Harry sighed and relaxed, a smile growing on his face. Once the aura faded, Louis picked up the second Token. 

“Oh!” Harry exclaimed as he recognized his own locket dangling from Louis’ hand. 

“You are my resilience. This locket contains a bit of cloud from the Mighty Summit, to represent the dynamic nature of our love.”

Harry whipped his head around toward the mountain. “From there?” He pointed to the distant mountain, towering over the horizon. “You climbed that?”

“I did, yeah. For you.” Louis handed Harry the locket. A gentle breeze picked up around them. It tousled their hair. Louis shivered. When Harry pushed the latch to open the locket, Louis shouted, “Don’t open it!” He knocked Harry’s hand away and ensured that the latch was firmly in place. Louis giggled at Harry’s startled expression. “There’s an enchantment to keep the cloud inside. You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to capture a cloud.” 

Harry laughed. “You’ll have to tell be about it someday. But I want to see the rest!” 

Next was the immortal flower. In the time since placing it in the box, the tiny roots had grown. They were nearly a foot long and spreading out through the box. He carefully extracted the flower and presented it to Harry. 

“The Fire Realm?” Harry took the flower, rolling the stem gently between his fingers to twirl the bloom. 

Louis nodded. “You are my passion. I give you an immortal flower from inside the Perpetual Volcano, to represent the wild desires of our love.” Louis raised his eyebrows suggestively.

“Lou!” Harry flushed, but he was laughing along. Harry took the flower, avoiding any of the menacing thorns along the stem. He gasped as the silky red petals began to glow. The air filled with the saccharine scent of an autumn bonfire. Louis admired Harry as he stared at the glowing flower until the magic light faded from the petals. Harry waited impatiently for Louis to present the last Token. His feet kicked against the stone wall.

Louis removed the pearl, still wrapped in the soft cloth for protection. He slowly peeled away the fabric to reveal the lustrous pearl within.

“Wow, it’s beautiful!” 

“You are my truth. This is a pearl from the Perceptive Lake, to represent the sincerity of our love.” 

Harry took the pearl from Louis and held it up in the moonlight. The air became humid. Louis could hear the sound of rushing water, as if he was holding a seashell to his ear. 

As the rushing sound dissipated. Louis closed his eyes and breathed. This next moment would define everything. He opened his eyes to find Harry staring back at him. The Tokens were balanced in his lap and the ring was already on his finger. All that was left was for Louis to ask the question.

Louis grabbed both of Harry’s hands. He held Harry’s gaze as he poured his heart out. “Harry. You are my strength. You are my resilience. You are my passion. You are my truth. You are my everything. I know for certain that my home is wherever I’m with you. And I want to be with you everywhere. I want to be with you always. I want to be with you forever. Will you accept my Proposal?”

“Yes, of course, always.” Harry said through his tears.

Louis cradled Harry’s cheeks and wiped the tears away with the pads of his thumbs. He whispered, “I love you.” and then sealed the Proposal with a kiss. It was tender and soft.

The air around them filled with stunning mix of energies. The powerful old magic of the Faery Realms swirled around them. As the ritual of the Fae proposal came to an end, the energies of the realms flowed through their veins and tied their souls in an unbreakable bond.

When the old magic faded away, they broke from the kiss. “I love you.” Harry whispered against Louis’ lips. Harry held him tightly, his hands splayed across Louis’ back. They held each other for a quiet moment, basking in the beauty of the moment experience together. 

Eventually Harry put the Tokens back into the box for safe keeping. “Louis, they are so beautiful. I still can’t believe you did all this for us. And kept it a secret, too.”

“It was worth it.” Louis said. He captured Harry’s lips in another searing kiss. Louis felt his lush lips part and he licked into Harry’s mouth. Harry moaned. As their kisses deepened, they shifted from sitting in the narrow window sill to laying in the tall grasses. Louis lowered Harry down to the ground, straddling his hips. 

Harry trace the edges of Louis’ wings. Louis shivered ticklish from the light touch. Then Harry’s hand moved to his hips, encouraging Louis to grind against him. They were both hard and panting, rutting against each other. 

Their clothes came off between kisses and caresses. Louis’ mouth traced the contours of Harry’s body, licking over his nipples, across his butterfly tattooed on his abs, down the faint dusting of hair. He took Harry into his mouth. He worked the base with his hand as he slowly took his length. Then he reached a hand out to caress his wing.

Harry’s hips twitched at the sensation. “Lou, please.”

Louis looked up at Harry through his long lashes and stroked his wing again. Harry cried out, “Need you.” 

Louis took mercy on him and let his cock fall from his mouth. “I’ve got you.”

He placed a soft kiss on Harry’s hip as he pressed a finger into him. Harry was already so wet, slick dripping down his thighs. He added another. Harry groaned at the stretch. Louis made quick work of opening him up, spreading his slick around and teasing his hole open with deft fingers. 

Louis hand dripped with slick when he pulled out. He wrapped his wet hand around himself. He moaned and rocked his hips into his fist, the drag eased by the slick. 

“Lou.” harry whined. His legs wrapped around Louis’ waist, pulling him in close. Louis lined himself up and pressed into Harry’s wet heat. He sunk into him slowly, giving him time to adjust to the fullness. 

He waited until Harry was rocking his hips, fucking himself on Louis’ cock. He rocked his hips, fucking Harry slowly. Louis leaned down to capture Harry into another kiss. Louis thrust deeper with the change of angle. Harry moaned into his mouth. Louis kissed at Harry’s exposed neck, licking and biting at the flushed skin near his collarbone. He continued his slow, constant pace, rocking his hips into Harry as Harry tried to meet his thrusts. Heat pooled in Louis’ stomach and he finally gave Harry some relief. He reached a hand to wrap around Harry’s cock.

“That’s it baby, Come for me.” He pulled him off with sure flicks of his wrist. Harry cried out as he came, spilling come between them. 

Louis made to pull out, but Harry tightened his legs around him. “Stay.” Louis’ hips faltered as he chased his own release. The tight heat around him and Harry’s lips on his was just about enough to send him over the edge. And then, Harry touched his wing, rubbing right at the base near his shoulder. His wings shook and his vision went white as he came.

Louis and Harry laid in the grass under the starlit sky. They were spent and naked and wrapped in each other’s embrace. They shared brief kisses and gentle touches as they basked in the contentment from their newly formed bond. 

Eventually the stars dimmed and the ink black sky broke. Fresh dawn light cast everything around them in soft pinks and yellows. It was morning, and it was the start of their forever. 

As the sun came over the horizon, they pulled on their clothes and packed up the wood box of Tokens. It was time to head back into the village. Louis could hardly wait to tell the world that Harry was his. Louis grabbed Harry’s hand and excitedly tugged him forward. Louis said, “Come along, baby. Our world is waiting.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Thanks for reading! [Here](https://haztobegood.tumblr.com/post/189976560953/i-want-to-be-with-you-everywhere-by-haztobegood) is a rebloggable post for the fic.


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